Summary
After years of establishing itself as a highly competitive PC title,Valoranthas officially come to consoles. With heavy inspiration fromCounter-Strikeand a hefty dose of the hero shooter gameplay that first rose to major prominence viaOverwatch,Valoranthas carved out an interesting niche for itself, proving ever-popular since it was first released in 2020. Releasing on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S is a new frontier for the FPS, though, and it comes with the potential tribulations of implementing crossplay between platforms with wildly different input methods.
TheValorantconsole version has been in a series of open betas after it was firstrevealed at Summer Game Fest 2024, and was finally shadowdropped in full on August 2. The game has remained fully in the PC realm for good reason – the incredible precision required for high-level play inValorantis typically regarded as something best suited for mouse and keyboard controls.CSGOattempted a PS3 and Xbox 360 port back in 2012, but it was ultimately unsuccessful, withCS2abandoning the idea entirely. It remains to be seen ifValorantcan find long-term success on consoles, but its crossplay strategy so far seems to recognize this inherent rift in platforms.
Valorant Does Not Include Crossplay Between Consoles & PC
Crossplay Is Enabled Between Xbox & PS5
Per theValorantwebsite’s console FAQ page,Valorantdoes not support crossplay between consoles and PC: “Players on console will be able to play with other players on consoles, so Xbox players will be able to play with PlayStation players. Console players will not be able to play with PC players.” This is good news for anyone with friends in a different console ecosystem, but unfortunate for anyone that was hoping to play with their buddies already on PC.
Ultimately, no crossplay between the two is likely for the best. The mouse and keyboard versus controller auto aim debate is seemingly never-ending, and with a game that relies so heavily on competitive balance,combining the console and PC player pools would likely introduce a problem that’s effectively impossible forValorantto solve. With no crossplay between consoles and PC, each version of the game is an even playing field, which may help a competitive console scene flourish like it has on PC.
Valorant’s Console Version Will Be Updated Concurrently With PC
Simultaneous Updates & New Content For All Platforms
Despite having no crossplay,Valorant’s PC and console versions will be updated simultaneously to ensure content parity, according toThe Verge. This includes “balance patches, new [Agents],map updates, premium content, and more.” While PC is likely to remain the primary platform forValorant’s competitve scene, PS5 and Xbox receiving the exact same content updates will help keep the console port from feeling like a “lesser” version, especially whennew Agents come toValorant, which are practically guaranteed to shake up the meta.
Despite the game’s available features being the same across all platforms, there are some slight differences in mechanics on Xbox and PlayStation. A more traditional auto aim has been replaced by Focus, a reduction in camera sensitivity while console players are aiming near an enemy without looking down their weapon’s sights. It’s an interesting solution that will keep players' skill paramount, while hopefully making up for the lack of precision when using controller joysticks. Such changes likely contributed to the decision to disable crossplay between the PC and console versions ofValorant.
Sources:Valorant,The Verge
Valorant
In this first-person online hero shooter, players choose from one of 24 heroes to battle it out in online matches. Each hero has unique abilities, and each one is based on a unique country or culture from around the world.
