Mount up in Ghost of Yotei and the presentation usually shifts: the frame letterboxes into a wider CinemaScope-style view, and the camera pulls back for a broader look at the landscape. It’s a deliberate cinematic touch designed to make horseback travel feel more filmic and to showcase Ezo’s long sightlines.

For some players, though, those black bars can feel restrictive—especially if you’d rather enjoy the ride in fullscreen. Here’s how to get rid of them.

How to disable the horseback letterbox

The option isn’t hidden in the menus—it’s built right into the camera controls. While riding, simply click the right analog stick (R3). The black bars should disappear immediately, restoring a fullscreen view.

  • You may need to press the stick once or twice to cycle through the zoom levels until you land on the one you prefer.
  • This only affects mounted traversal. Stepping off the horse defaults you back to the standard fullscreen presentation anyway.

Do note: during certain story sequences, black bars may appear even when you’re on foot. Those moments are scripted and disappear automatically once the scene passes.

Other display and camera options

If you want to tweak visuals further:

  • Display menu: Adjust brightness, contrast, HUD, or enable cinematic filters like Kurosawa, Miike, and Watanabe modes.
  • Gameplay menu: Contains camera auto-lock and framing options (not under Display, which can be confusing).
  • Accessibility menu: Covers text size, colors, wind visibility, projectile indicators, and other practical aids.

These menus won’t affect the horseback letterbox directly, but they do give you plenty of flexibility in tailoring your view.

Quick reference: horseback camera behavior

BehaviorCan you change it?HowNotes
Letterboxed “CinemaScope” view on horsebackYesPress right stick (R3)Cycles between zoom/letterbox states.
Camera distance while ridingIndirectlyTied to R3 pressWider field of view engages automatically; adjust with R3.
Standard fullscreen viewN/AOn foot / scripted removalDefault presentation outside mounted travel.

The horseback letterbox is a stylistic flourish—but it’s not locked in. A quick R3 press removes the black bars and gives you fullscreen riding, no settings menu required. For everything else, you’ll find a rich set of visual and accessibility tweaks across the Display, Gameplay, and Accessibility menus.