4:3 vs. 16:9 - Which Resolution is Best in CS:GO?

We all have one friend playing 4:3 and no one understands why. Here are the pros and cons of each resolution.

Especially in competitive games FPSSuch as CS GO, VALUE or Rainbow Six: Siege, players fiddled with different settings for a long time. Crosshair settings such as color and size, mouse sensitivity, or graphical settings may seem minor at first, but when properly optimized can have a huge impact.

There are a lot of different opinions on the Internet. Even the professional scene CS: GO divided about this.

Basics

These days, almost every video game is designed for the standard definition of 1920 × 1080 pixels (Full HD). This resolution has a width-to-height ratio of 16:9. Such proportions are commonly referred to as the aspect ratio. Of course, this aspect ratio is not tied to this particular resolution and can be found in many others such as 4K UHD or 8k UHD.

Most games use aspect ratio 16:9. But for games FPS the focus should be on gameplay and performance rather than looks and graphics. For this reason, many players switch between different image formats.

Along with the usual 16:9 aspect ratio, other popular formats are 4:3, 16:10, and 5:4. The closer the numbers are to each other, the closer you are to achieving a square with a 1:1 ratio.

Since the image shrinks towards the middle, if you choose a more square resolution, black bars will appear on the sides. Many players choose to bypass these black bars by stretching the image to fill the screen. This is called stretched resolution.

The stretched resolution game was already implemented when Counter Strike: Global Offensive just came out. Ninjas in Pajamas legend GeT_RiGhT won many tournaments with this strange setting and got a lot of attention.

But you can not apply all these settings in the game. Usually you need to set up your monitor according to your graphics card settings. NVIDIA users just need to right-click on their desktop to fiddle with this setting.

Field of view and graphics

So is it worth switching to standard resolution? We've taken a close look at the two most common aspect ratios, 16:9 and 4:3.

The 16:9 format has a significant advantage over the reduced aspect ratio. Since the image is wider, you will have a larger field of view, allowing you to see enemies on the edge of the screen. Because the image is cropped for 4:3 players, they can't see what's going on at the edge of the screen. This has happened several times in professional play and can lead to the following incidents:

Of course, an aspect ratio with more pixels will also look better. But for fast shooters, it doesn't matter, as many players prefer worse graphics if it helps their gameplay. In particular, your frame rate can benefit from fewer pixels. However, the lower you set the resolution, the more pixels the image will have.

Because the 4:3 aspect ratio shows a smaller portion of the image, you can more easily focus on a single point. This "tunnel vision" can help you focus on the important parts of the game. Especially professional players appreciate this advantage over the 16:9 aspect ratio.

Player patterns and movements

The main reason players prefer the 4:3 aspect ratio is the change in character models. Stretched resolution makes everything appear larger. The player character model has been enlarged by almost 50% at stretched resolution. This will make it easier for you to hit enemies.

Theoretically, the models are not bigger, since everything that is displayed on the screen is also stretched. However, we tend to focus only on the player models and ignore the environment, which gives this parameter a huge advantage.

Stretched elements make movement in a stretched 4:3 ratio feel faster and smoother. You will notice the difference, especially while jumping or Bunnyhopping, and get a more dynamic gaming experience. In addition, weapons are also easier to control.

What do the professionals think?

The settings will always be personal preference and do not give players a significant advantage over the other side. But since many CS:GO pros have eschewed 16:9, you can't shake the suspicion that different resolutions can provide an edge.

However, this has not been proven and many professional players stick with the standard 16:9 screen aspect ratio. Some pros have discovered completely new formats with 16:10 or 5:4.

Obviously just changing the settings won't help you become the next s1mple. Just play around with the settings to find the one that suits your gaming experience.

What resolution are you playing at? write in the comments!

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