Feature Request: User-Configurable Default Cockpit Zoom/FOV Override (Per Mode)

Official Microsoft Flight Simulator Wishlist
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Summary:
Many users—especially in VR and headtracking setups (TrackIR, Tobii, etc.)—experience discomfort or visual distortion (fisheye-like effects) due to inconsistent and often inappropriate default cockpit zoom or field-of-view (FOV) settings across different aircraft. We request the implementation of a user-configurable global override for the default cockpit zoom/FOV, ideally with per-mode support (2D, VR, headtracking).

:wrench: Problem

Currently, every aircraft (especially 3rd party) defines its own default zoom/FOV settings inside its Cameras.cfg file. These values are not always ideal—some result in extremely wide-angle, stretched perspectives that break immersion, especially in VR or when using headtracking. For example, the Twin Otter often feels extremely distorted in VR due to a very wide cockpit view.

Zooming manually (e.g., via mouse wheel) doesn’t solve the root issue, because:

  • It changes the FOV rather than “moving the camera,” which causes visible distortion.
  • It resets on aircraft reload or view change.
  • It behaves inconsistently across different aircraft.

:white_check_mark: Proposed Solution

Introduce a user override setting for the default cockpit zoom/FOV that works independently of aircraft-specific settings. Ideally, this override should support different values per input mode:

ini

CopyEdit

UseGlobalZoomOverride = 1
DefaultZoom2D = 0.35
DefaultZoomVR = 0.35
DefaultZoomHeadtracking = 0.35

Alternatively, this could be exposed in the in-game camera settings as a toggle and per-mode slider.

:raising_hands: Benefits

  • No developer changes required — existing aircraft remain unchanged.
  • Provides a consistent visual experience across all aircraft.
  • Resolves fisheye and scaling issues for VR and headtracking users.
  • Empowers users with more control over their visual experience.

:link: Community Support

This issue is actively discussed by VR and headtracking users. See for example:

:thread: “The Same Initial Zoom in Every Airplane”

“Every airplane has a different default zoom… In VR especially this can result in huge differences in perceived scale. We need a consistent zoom across aircraft or a user setting.”

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