Riot announced that Valorant has entered open beta on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S.
The free-to-play team shooter is already a huge hit on PC, where it first launched in 2020. However, there are some key differences between the PC version and this console port.
On PC, hip fire is the primary firing mode in Valorant, with ADS being a secondary, supporting mode. For the console port, Riot created Focus, a novel firing mode that functions similarly to hip fire but with reduced sensitivity.
In the post on Xbox cableMicrosoft said Valorant on consoles will let players shoot from the hip when they need quick camera movements and aiming (e.g., peeking around corners and avoiding obstacles), but with the option to exploit focus mode when they need to make precise, calibrated headshots.
“Some Agent abilities have been adapted to the new controls, and various changes across the board have contributed to the team’s top priority: capturing the dynamic pace and expressive nature of the original’s mechanics,” Microsoft continued.
Due to this difference, Valorant does not offer crossplay between PC and consoles (crossplay Is available on PS5 and Xbox Series X and S). “This is primarily due to a focus on maintaining the integrity of the game given the control changes required to port the game to console,” Microsoft explained.
There is, however, shared cross-progression between PC and console, meaning your loadout carries over. So, if you unlock skins on PC or console, they will work on both. Likewise, Battle Pass progress carries over to both versions.
The Open Beta is a prelude to the full console launch, which on Xbox includes perks for Game Pass subscribers. In the Open Beta and Full Launch, Game Pass members unlock every Agent released to date, as well as any novel day one add-ons.
In addition to console ports, Riot announced in 2021 that it was working on a mobile version of Valorant. Riot promised that the mobile version would deliver “the same competitive Valorant experience” that’s currently available on PC. However, news on that version has been limited since its original announcement.
Last October, Bloomberg reported that Valorant has 28 million players per month, and 70% of players are from Generation Z.
In our Valorant review, IGN wrote, “Valorant is a smart tactical hero shooter that’s very deep and a lot of fun to master.”
Taylor is a reporter at IGN. You can follow her on Twitter @TayNixster.
Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter @wyp100. You can contact Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.
