Is Valorant Crossplay on the PC and Consoles?

According to many trackers, the number of Valorant players who play Valorant monthly is over 15 million. That's how popular Valorant is.

With such popularity, Valorant players always try to play the game as much as possible. In this quest, they are often faced with the question: Is Valorant crossplay? I will answer this today in great detail. Before that, let's understand what crossplay is in the world of gaming.

What Is Crossplay?

Crossplay refers to the feature that allows players to use different hardware to play the game together. For example, if a game supports crossplay, a player using Xbox can play with a player using a PC. That essentially means you can play Valorant easily and from almost anywhere.

So, is Valorant crossplay?

Let's find out.

Is Valorant Crossplay?

Yes, however, Valorant has supported partial crossplay since July 2024. It means that whether you're playing Valorant on PS5, or Xbox Series X/S, you can play against players using different consoles, but not PC.

Riot Games beta-tested the crossplay feature on PS5 and Xbox consoles in June 2024 before launching it for all. During this test, a limited number of players were allowed to test the game in certain regions. The beta test resulted in positive reviews, after which Riot Games launched the crossplay feature.

Let's take a sneak peek at what Riot Games says about the crossplay feature.

What does Riot Games have to say about crossplay?

Valorant has crossplay to a certain extent, but Riot Games has made it clear that not all devices and combinations will support crossplay. According to Riot Games, that's because the console versions of Valorant are custom-built. If a console player plays against a player using a PC, there won't be any competitive balance, so Valorant doesn't support complete crossplay.

While the gaming community isn't necessarily happy with this limited gameplay, which has led to heated discussions, it's better than no crossplay.

But which platforms does the crossplay feature support?

I will cover that below.

Is Valorant Crossplay Between Consoles?

Yes, Valorant is a crossplay between PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. Players using these consoles can match up and form a squad together. When Riot Games mentioned that the game has custom-built gameplay for consoles, it meant all consoles combined. That means players playing on PS5 and Xbox have a level playing field, which means there is balanced competitiveness.

However, you need to enable the crossplay feature to ensure you have a larger pool for matchmaking.

A few things to keep in mind while playing Valorant across consoles are:

Valorant doesn't feature any console-specific or PC-specific skins. Due to this reason, you don't miss out on any content just because of the hardware you are playing on.

Extending the point above, as long as you are using the same account, you can use the same skins, making it easy to equip your favorite guns and their aesthetics. Your entire inventory is available on every platform if you use the same account.

The tick rate across consoles will be the same, that is, 128.

The Vanguard anti-cheat will be active across hardware to discourage players from plugging additional hardware or software. This will provide a level playing field to all players, irrespective of their platform.

Aim assist can't be turned off on consoles. Since it isn't invasive, this isn't a big limitation.

Is Valorant crossplay between PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X?

Valorant doesn't support crossplay between PC and any of the consoles. There are a few reasons for this:

1. Change in-game dynamics

In Riot Games' own words, the game on consoles is custom-built, but the players using a PC don't enjoy such an advantage. This means that the console players might have an advantage if they are pitted against one another.

2. Controller differences

When you have a mouse and keyboard, you have an advantage with respect to aiming. On the other hand, you can control movement mechanics better on the console controller. Thus, each of them has their advantages. If they are pitted against each other, it won't result in a balanced playing field.

Does Valorant Support Cross-Progression?

Yes, Valorant supports cross-progression. The only caveat is that you use the same account on all platforms. You can use the entire inventory once you log in to the same account.

In fact, Riot Games has specifically listed the account content eligible for cross-progression. It includes:

1. Account Level

If you attain a certain level on your PC and use the same account in consoles, you will continue at the same level. While you might not be able to play against PC players, your level will stay the same.

2. Currencies:

Whether you speak of VP, Radianite Points, or Kingdom Creds, you can access all these, regardless of the hardware platform.

3. Skins:

This will make many of you happy because many players work hard to acquire the right skins and enhance the gun's aesthetics.

4. Battle Pass:

Battle Pass allows you to take advantage of the seasonal launches in the game. These seasonal aspects make the game more interesting and also provide unique objectives. The good news is that the battle pass status and progression are synced across the hardware platforms.

5. Mission Progression:

All mission types, including daily, weekly, and other missions, are synced across the hardware platforms.

These aspects are synced across PCs, consoles, and between consoles.

Read more: How To Change Your Name In Valorant - Guide

How To Use Cross-Progression In Valorant?

Using cross-progression is pretty easy in Valorant. You just need to perform 2 actions to do that.

Step 1: Log in to Riot account from the hardware platform you want to use.

Step 2: Use the Valorant ID to sync the data.

Depending on your internet connection, it shouldn't take more than a few minutes to start using cross-progression.

What About Matchmaking Pools?

While crossplay aims to make the game more accessible to everyone, that also means the players pitted against each other are more diverse. So, it's important to understand the impact of crossplay on matchmaking pools.

Before I go any further, I would like to state that the matchmaking pools consist of either console or PC players. Both can't be in the same pool.

Wondering why so?

I will share 2 reasons for this below.

1. Better Competitive Integrity

As highlighted above, console and PC players have different strengths and weaknesses. If there is a common pool, certain players might be at a disadvantage, which will discourage them. To preserve the game's competitive integrity, Riot Games has decided to stick to 2 different types of matchmaking pools.

2. Balance between different controls

To provide a fair chance to each player, game developers have decided to match up players using console controllers with others using the same type of controllers. Similarly, PC players using a keyboard and mouse can compete against others using a similar input mechanism.

Are There Any Workarounds To Valorant Crossplay?

Yes, there is a workaround to crossplay in Valorant. A few sites like Gametree allow you to form teams across platforms. In a nutshell, the team can comprise players from PCs and consoles. However, there are a few things to keep in mind while using sites like Gametree:

1. Limited audience:

The problem with Gametree is that you can't rely on it to have a wider audience. If you're inviting other players to join your team, you will have a full squad. However, if you rely on their matchmaking algorithm, you might sometimes be disappointed. So, it's a hit-and-miss.

2. Limited control:

Sites that try to play the matchmaker don't reveal much information about their algorithm. They also don't allow you to customize the matchmaking experience, which essentially defeats the purpose of relying on them.

Complexities of Playing Crossplay in Valorant

While Valorant's limited crossplay is a welcome addition, you need to tackle a few complexities.

1. Region restrictions

Valorant has designed the crossplay feature so that players in the same region are matched with one another. This is done to ensure the players can easily relate to one another. There is, however, a workaround to this restriction. You can use a VPN. The problem is that you will be going against the terms and conditions.

2. Latency issues

Despite the regional restrictions, crossplay can lead to latency issues as well if your internet connection isn't top-notch. The latency issue can also mean you get eliminated from a game like Valorant, where every second counts.

Read more: How Does Valorant Ranked System Work - Fully Explained

Is Valorant Boosting Available On Consoles?

Yes, our professional Valorant boosters can help you get any rank in Valorant on PC, PS5, and XBOX. Simply head over to our Valorant rank boosting service page and customize your order.

Checkout today and start grinding towards your desired rank the very same day!

FAQs

Is Valorant only on PC?

No, Valorant was initially launched on PC. Now, it is available on PC, Xbox, and PS5.

Is Valorant a RAM-based game?

Yes, Valorant utilizes a significant amount of RAM. While the game developers state that the minimum is 4GB, ideally, you should have 8GB.

Can I use my PC account on the Valorant console?

Yes, you can use your Valorant ID to transfer all the inventory and stats from the PC to the console. That's because Valorant supports cross-progression.

Is Valorant cross-save?

Yes, Valorant supports cross-save as well. Just ensure your internet connectivity is good for seamless saving.

Can you merge Riot accounts?

No, there is no option to merge 2 Riot games accounts. To avoid creating multiple accounts, it's best to associate your social accounts and the primary email with your first Riot account. That way, you won't mistakenly create a second Riot Games account.

What are the differences between Valorant on PC and console?

The controls on both platforms are different. Additionally, many players commented that the console-based version is a bit slower. The user interface on the platforms is different since the UI for consoles is designed to better suit controllers.

Wrapping up

So, the answer to the question, is Valorant crossplay is a definite yes. However, there is a limitation, console players can't play with PC players, but players using Xbox or PS5 can play together. Not only that since it supports cross-progression you can easily save your progress.