Weeks after Riot Games’ popular competitive title VALORANT came to Xbox Series X|S and PS5 in closed beta and just one week after that beta was opened to all players, the free-to-play 5v5 hero shooter has now been fully released on consoles. This port is now available to console players in the US, Canada, Europe, Japan, and Brazil, and is nearly identical to the PC version that’s been a worldwide hit since its release in summer 2020. Riot announced the news with a new cinematic trailer you can watch below (or with the hyperlink).
Something important to note is that VALORANT on console does not support crossplay with the PC version of the game, though Xbox and PlayStation players can queue and match together. This has been done to ensure the integrity of the shooter’s competitive nature in both versions; both controller and mouse and keyboard have some unique advantages and disadvantages, so mixed input play would add bumps to an otherwise even playing field. This is also why VALORANT on PC has not gotten controller support.
VALORANT does support cross-progression, however, so as long as you’re using the same account on both platforms, any skins and XP you earn in one version of the game will carry over to the other. Riot has also confirmed that PC and console players will get access to all future patches, Agent releases, and cosmetics at the same time.
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In case you’re wondering, VALORANT’s console edition features all the same Agents, abilities, and weapons that you’ll find in the PC one, though notably, it’s gotten some small adjustments to make the game more enjoyable to play on console. For more on how the experience feels to play, check out our VALORANT hands-on Xbox beta preview.
Also, as part of a wider partnership between Microsoft and Riot Games that began in 2022, Xbox Game Pass players have access to some exclusive perks and benefits. These include access to all of VALORANT’s current Agents, guaranteed access to all future Agents, a 20% XP boost (including for progress on Battle Passes and Events), and a 10% discount on all VALORANT Points purchases (this is VALORANT’s in-game currency). These apply on both Xbox and PC (provided you’re using the Microsoft Store version), through regular Game Pass, PC Game Pass, and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
Overall, it’s great to see VALORANT officially make it to console so soon after the arrival of its beta, though if you were already playing the game on Xbox or PS5, nothing has ultimately changed for you with this release. Still, it’s good to know that new updates and content will now release on this version of the shooter as well as the PC one when it arrives.
VALORANT is now available on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PlayStation 5 for free, and is one of the best Xbox games and best PC games to play if you’re a fan of competitive shooters. With Xbox Game Pass, you’ll get several noteworthy in-game benefits like access to all Agents, a big XP boost, and a 10% discount on VALORANT Points.
