Riot Games has announced that its popular competitive hero shooter, Valorant, will soon be available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. This long-awaited release is set to begin with a limited beta test starting next week. The announcement was made during Summer Game Fest 2024.
One key feature of the console versions is the inclusion of cross-progression, allowing players to maintain their progress across both PC and console platforms. However, Riot Games has decided against implementing crossplay between PC and consoles. This decision aims to uphold the competitive integrity of the game. According to Riot, it would be unfair to pit players using controllers against those using a keyboard and mouse, as the control schemes provide different levels of precision and responsiveness.
So, is Valorant coming to consoles or not?
Riot Games is not merely porting the game to consoles but is also making significant adjustments to ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience for console players. The control scheme is being specifically adapted for Xbox and PlayStation controllers. Among these adaptations is a new feature called Focus, designed to enhance the precision of hip-fire on controllers.
Arnar Gylfason, Valorant’s Production Director, explained the approach in a comment to Digital Trends. “When adapting any features for consoles, our goal was to provide the Valorant moment on a new platform. That meant not simply adapting the input method but ensuring that the experience stays true to the original. We achieved this through multiple iterations, analyzing how problems were solved by other games and, most importantly, getting player feedback — a lot of player feedback. We were also very excited to create the best competitive experience for controllers. This required changes to the game to ensure that it feels right and fair on consoles, so we included new features like Focus where needed, adapted Agent abilities, and many others to deliver that goal. With these improvements, other changes had to be made, including not allowing PC to Console cross-play, all to ensure that we maintain Valorant standard for competitive integrity.”
Beta Testing and Future Updates
Valorant’s UI and new Focus gameplay feature can be seen in an in-game screenshot from the Xbox version, showcasing how the game will look on consoles. The console versions will feature cross-progression and shared player inventories, ensuring that players can seamlessly switch between platforms. Additionally, all future patches and updates will be released simultaneously across both PC and console versions.
Players interested in trying out Valorant on PS5 or Xbox Series X/S can sign up for the playtest on the game’s official website. The first beta tests will commence on June 14 in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Europe, and Japan. Following these initial tests, beta versions will be rolled out in more regions, leading up to a wide release on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
With these advancements, Riot Games aims to bring the full Valorant experience to console players while maintaining the high standards of competitive integrity and gameplay quality that the game is known for.
