Video summary

Is 4:3 just a fad? - Rainbow Six Siege

Main summary

Key takeaways

Gaming

Storyline

  • Rainbow Six Siege doesn’t have a single continuous storyline in the way traditional campaigns do. This video is focused on competitive settings and performance—specifically aspect ratio and FOV—rather than narrative plot.

Gameplay / Competitive Takeaways (Aspect Ratio vs FOV)

Core claim being tested

  • Many players/pros use 4:3 (and some use 5:4) believing it makes targets larger and easier to hit.

What the video finds

If you keep the same FOV angle and switch 16:9 → 4:3

  • The image becomes stretched, making targets wider—which could be slightly easier to see/hit in theory.
  • Trade-off: you lose peripheral vision on the left and right sides because the view is “squeezed” laterally.

If you adjust FOV, the results can change

  • Example tested:
    • 4:3 at FOV 75 vs 16:9 at FOV 60
  • Result:
    • Peripheral view stays effectively the same
    • 16:9 appears taller, giving larger vertical target size
  • Takeaway: the idea that 4:3 always helps doesn’t hold universally.

Video’s strongest practical recommendation

  • If you want the largest “zoom” / target size effect, the video argues you should:

    • Adjust FOV first, not aspect ratio.

  • It also warns that combining:

    • Low aspect ratio + high FOV can look visually squashed/ugly and may lead to smaller effective targets compared to using a more normal aspect ratio with a smaller FOV.

About 5:4 (and why it’s not automatically better)

  • The game offers 5:4, so the video asks why people don’t always use it.
  • Conclusion:
    • 5:4 can zoom in more, but causes massive peripheral loss, especially at higher zoom/FOV settings.
  • The host suggests this loss is likely not “objectively better” unless you’re willing to compensate for it.

Key Tips / “Rules” Stated

  • Avoid combining:
    • Small aspect ratio with large (wide) FOV
    • Large aspect ratio with small (narrow) FOV
  • Instead:
    • Balance FOV (zoom/peripheral trade-off) with aspect ratio based on personal comfort.
  • The recommended “sweet spot” is between extremes:
    • Enough FOV to avoid feeling like you’re using “low-powered binoculars”
    • Enough zoom to identify and hit targets reliably

Final Conclusion

  • 4:3 may stretch/alter targets slightly, but any advantage is conditional.
  • The video concludes the main driver of “competitive advantage” is FOV settings.
  • Using 4:3 (or 5:4) only really makes sense in specific circumstances—particularly when paired with the minimum FOV—but typically at the cost of peripheral vision.

Gamers / Sources Featured

  • Rogue-9 (the video creator/host)

Original video