Display: resolution, 4:3 stretched and FPS

16:9 and 4:3: the basics

Aspect ratio is the ratio between width and height. Almost every monitor sold today is 16:9 (1920×1080, 2560×1440). 4:3 is the old squarer CRT format (1024×768, 1280×960, 1440×1080), still popular in competitive shooters.

Playing 4:3 on a 16:9 monitor leaves two options:

• Black bars: the image keeps its proportions and black bars fill the sides.
• Stretched: the image is widened to fill the whole screen. Everything looks wider than it really is.

Resolution is the number of pixels. A lower resolution asks less of your graphics card (often more FPS) but gives a less sharp image: a distant enemy covers fewer pixels.

What 4:3 stretched changes in CS2

CS2 sets a 90° horizontal field of view (FOV) for a 4:3 image and widens it for wider formats: about 106° at 16:9^[1]. The math: 2 × atan(tan(45°) × (16/9) ÷ (4/3)) ≈ 106.26°.

Your cm/360 does not change: CS2 sensitivity is measured in degrees, not pixels. But when stretched, the same movement makes the image scroll faster across the screen, so many players feel their sens is "faster" for the first few days.

Among the 18 CS2 pros whose resolution AimPro knows, 14 play 4:3 and 3 play 16:9; 13 of 16 stretch the image and 2 keep black bars (see their settings). It is a very common habit, not proof that it is better for you.

What about other games?

Each game handles aspect ratio its own way: what holds in CS2 does not necessarily hold elsewhere.

• Valorant does not let you change the FOV (103° at 16:9). Published measurements of 4:3 stretched in Valorant contradict each other^[2][3] and Riot does not document it: do not expect the same effect as in CS2, and compare two screenshots yourself.
• Rainbow Six Siege has its own in-game aspect ratio setting: among the 14 R6 pros whose setting is known, 9 chose 4:3 and 4 chose 3:2 (see their settings).
• Apex Legends, Overwatch 2, Call of Duty have an FOV slider. It changes target size far more than aspect ratio: a wide FOV shows more around you, but everything looks smaller and further away.

FOV does not change hipfire cm/360, so it does not change your sens conversion: the converter stays valid whatever your format.

FPS, refresh rate and latency

Your monitor's refresh rate (in Hz) is how many images it shows per second. The time between two images is 1000 ÷ refresh rate:

More frames per second means smoother motion to track and information that arrives sooner. The gain shrinks at every step: going from 60 to 144 Hz saves almost 10 ms per frame, going from 240 to 360 Hz less than 1.5 ms.

• FPS above your refresh rate: without vertical sync, the displayed image was rendered more recently, so slightly less delay, at the cost of screen tearing.
• V-Sync removes tearing but makes the graphics card wait: more delay.
• G-Sync and FreeSync avoid tearing as long as FPS stays below the monitor's refresh rate.
• NVIDIA Reflex (and AMD Anti-Lag) shrink the queue of frames waiting between the CPU and the GPU, which lowers click-to-screen latency^[4].

Stability matters more than the peak: FPS dropping from 300 to 120 in the middle of a fight feels worse than a slightly lower but steady average. Look at "1% lows" rather than averages when comparing settings.

Among the 60 pros whose monitor AimPro knows, 58 play at 240 Hz or more.

How to choose

1. Start with native 16:9 if you are new or play several games: it is the clearest format and the same everywhere.
2. In CS2, try 4:3 stretched for a week if targets feel small, without touching your sens. Judge it in real situations (long-range duels, wide angles), not on a first-day impression.
3. Keep stable FPS at least equal to your refresh rate before chasing graphics detail.
4. Change one setting at a time, or you will not know what helped.

Key takeaway: 4:3 stretched trades side vision for wider targets. It is neither cheating nor mandatory, just a trade-off.