The beloved game Valorant has captured the hearts of PC gamers over the years of its presence in the gaming market. For several years, there have been rumors and requests from the community to release a console version of the game. Finally, Riot Games confirmed these rumors and announced their readiness to enter the console market. However, upon learning about the development of the console version, players began to wonder about the release date.

Visiting Reddit, you can repeatedly come across posts with the title: "When will Valorant be released on consoles?" In this article, we will discuss all the known information about the game's release on consoles and provide all available data on this matter.

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Current status and developer statements

As of mid-2024, Riot Games has not officially announced the release date of Valorant on consoles. However, this idea is far from forgotten. In various interviews and community updates, Riot Games has expressed interest in bringing Valorant to console platforms. This interest aligns with the company's overall strategy of expanding its game portfolio beyond PC, as seen with successful launches such as "League of Legends: Wild Rift" on mobile devices and "Ruined King: A League of Legends Story" on various platforms.

However, recently, during the Summer Game Fest presentation, Riot Games officially announced that their free-to-play shooter Valorant would be available on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S later this year. Shortly after, a large-scale beta testing for Valorant on console was announced. You can read about registering for the closed beta test in our article.

Official announcement and beta version details

Since its release in 2020, Valorant has quickly gained popularity among competitive first-person shooters. The free-to-play model, wide selection of characters, and engaging storyline have attracted a large number of fans, although the game was only available on PC. With the release on consoles, this will change.

At Summer Game Fest, Valorant's Executive Producer, Andy Ho, and Production Director, Arnar Gylfason, announced that the game would be released on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S later this year. It was also announced that a closed beta version would be launched, starting from June 14th. Those interested in participating in the beta testing can register on the official Valorant website. Initially, the beta version will be available only in certain regions: Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Europe. Riot mentioned that the beta version may be expanded to other regions later, but specific timing was not provided.

Optimization and features of the console version

Riot Games guarantees that the console version of Valorant will match the PC version in terms of content and balance updates. However, crossplay (playing together across different platforms) will be disabled due to differences in control precision between controllers and keyboard/mouse. Nevertheless, cross-progression will be supported, allowing players to transfer their profiles between PC and consoles.

Ban on using mouse and keyboard on console

Another advantage of the console version of Valorant is the ban on using a mouse and keyboard for gameplay on PS5 and Xbox. During a public appearance, Max Grossman, Valorant's Design Director, stated that Valorant's development is progressing simultaneously for PC and consoles, and that new content will be released simultaneously on both platforms.

When asked about the possibility of using a mouse and keyboard on consoles, Max replied: "Is this cheating? This cannot be done. Using a mouse and keyboard on consoles will result in a ban." Thus, confirmation is given that using a mouse and keyboard is prohibited in the console version of Valorant.

Lack of gyroscopic function

It was also revealed that the console version of Valorant lacks the feature of controlling the game view and aiming using controller tilt (gyroscopic function).

Coleman Palm, Valorant's Product Manager, clarified this position. Despite the absence of gyroscopic function, the console version will introduce a focus mode, providing instant and precise control. In response to a user question on the social media platform X Twitter about the reasons for the absence of gyroscopic function, Palm stated:

In the console version, the gyroscopic function is not supported. I understand that this is a wonderful technology, and I would like to use it myself.

Palm said

He also noted that the Xbox controller does not support gyroscopic function, and the developers wanted to avoid a situation where the PS5 would be preferred over Xbox because of this aspect.

This is just a small part of the surprises that the console version of Valorant will offer us in the future.

Expectations and Community Impact

One of the most discussed topics regarding the potential release of Valorant on consoles is the question of crossplay support between PC and consoles. The possibility of crossplay could significantly increase the player base and improve match matchmaking but raises serious concerns about game balance. In FPS games, there are often challenges in ensuring equal conditions between players using different input methods. For example, PC users with a keyboard and mouse may have a significant advantage over console players with controllers.

Riot Games confirmed that they will disable crossplay to avoid unequal gameplay conditions. Disabling this feature for console players could be beneficial, especially in light of recent updates aimed at reducing toxicity in the game. This careful approach to gameplay and community management will be a key factor in Valorant's entry into the console market.

Transitioning Valorant from PC to consoles has garnered significant interest among players, as it provides an opportunity to see how console gamers adapt to the game's unique gameplay. It's important to note that competitive hero shooters like Overwatch have long been successful on consoles, but the control scheme and shooting mechanics in Valorant were initially designed for PC. Riot Games emphasized their commitment to making gameplay on controllers feel more natural. The developers even stated that they would refrain from releasing console versions if they couldn't achieve this balance.

Speculations about the Release Timing

Given the development challenges and Riot's commitment to quality, predicting the exact release date of Valorant on consoles is difficult. However, industry analysts and gaming insiders speculate that the console version may be announced by the end of 2024 or early 2025. This timeframe would give Riot Games enough time to fine-tune the console experience and conduct necessary testing phases.

Conclusion

While the anticipation for Valorant's release on consoles continues, Riot Games' cautious and thoughtful approach indicates that they are focused on delivering a high-quality and balanced product. Transitioning from PC to consoles involves not only technical changes but also maintaining the competitive spirit and high standards that have made Valorant an outstanding FPS game. As Riot Games continue to explore and test prototypes for consoles, fans can hope for an official announcement in the near future.