Riot has announced that Valorant is now available in open beta for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X and S.
The team-based shooter, which is available for free, gained significant popularity on PC since its initial release in 2020. However, there are a few significant distinctions between this console port and the PC version.
Aim-down-sights (ADS) is a secondary, supporting shooting method, and hip-fire is Valorant’s primary shooting mode on PC. Riot developed Focus, a new shooting mode for the console port that works similarly to hip-fire but with less sensitivity.
Microsoft said in an Xbox Wire post that Valorant on consoles allows players to shoot from the hip whenever they need speed in both camera and aim movements (think: dodging and peeking around corners), but they can also use Focus mode to achieve a precise, calibrated headshot whenever necessary.
The team’s top goal was to recreate the dynamic pacing and mechanically expressive feel of the original, thus some of the Agent skills were modified for the new input controls, and various tweaks were made throughout,” Microsoft said.
Due to this distinction, cross-platform play is not available in Valorant (although it is available between the PS5 and Xbox Series X and S). Microsoft said, “Given the control adjustments required to bring the game to console, this is mostly due to an emphasis on keeping the title’s competitive integrity.”
Nonetheless, your inventory is carried across because there is shared cross-progression between PC and console. Thus, once skins are unlocked on one platform, they will function on the other as well. The battle pass progression is also compatible with both versions.
Before the official console launch, which on Xbox includes benefits for Game Pass subscribers, there is an open beta. Game Pass subscribers can access every Agent that has been released thus far, along with any new additions, from day one of both the open beta and the official launch.
Riot declared in 2021 that it was developing a smartphone version of Valorant in addition to console adaptations. Riot stated that “the same competitive Valorant experience” that is already offered on PC would be available on the mobile version. However, since its first introduction, there has not been any news about this version.
According to a Bloomberg estimate from October of last year, Valorant had 28 million monthly users, with Gen Z gamers making up 70% of the player community.
