This paper shows how a phase only spatial light modulator (SLM) can be used to implement compact, wide field of view (FOV) projection systems, using a foveal imaging approach. The SLM is tested in two different configurations. First, as a wavefront corrector to locally compensate aberrations in wide angle projection, when illuminated by a white (RGB) light source. Second, as re-configurable diffractive optical element (DOE) to display phase computer generated holograms (CGHs) of wide angle images, that include aberration corrections for peripheral regions of interest (ROI) of the output image, when illuminated by a coherent source. Finally, the foveal projection system is coupled with a commercial combiner to project 11° ×4° virtual images at 2~m and assess the foveal correction method on different ROIs in the FOV.