Is Valorant coming to mobile or consoles? Here's what we know
Valorant is one of the hottest topics in all of video games right now. Riot Games’ fusion of tactical and hero shooters has dominated social media for weeks and caught mainstream attention in a big way.
The game is currently available in closed beta exclusively for PC, and that has many gamers wondering when, or if, it might come to their own favorite platforms.
So does Riot Games have anything exciting lined up regarding Valorant for mobile players? What about for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch? Could Valorant end up on the Playstation 5 or Xbox Series X?
Here’s what’s in store when it comes to Valorant.
Riot Games hints at Valorant on consoles
Valorant would be very well-suited for consoles. Though Fortnite’s building mechanics needed frequent tinkering from Epic Games and Overwatch has subtle differences in hero balance between the PC and console versions of the game, Valorant doesn’t have anything that would be difficult to replicate on or translate to the PlayStation and Xbox.
From a technical perspective, there would also be very few hiccups for Riot Games in terms of getting the game to work on a console. The PlayStation 4 and Xbox One are both fairly powerful pieces of hardware and Valorant was specifically designed to be able to run on older PCs as well as newer and more powerful setups. Getting the game to run would be little trouble for those consoles, and it is likely that the game could even be ported over to the comparatively weak Nintendo Switch.
So will Valorant end up on consoles? Riot spelled it out in a statement on its Discord server for the game.
“It is likely, but there may be information about it in the future announcements as we get closer to the game’s release,” Riot said.
Whether Valorant gets ported to consoles likely hinges on how well the game is received on PC. Fortnite being made available on every modern gaming platform imaginable was started by its explosive success on the PC. If Valorant enjoys even a fraction of that success, Riot would be leaving money on the table by not porting it to consoles.
The big question is which platforms it would land on. The PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X are both set to launch later this year, which could see Riot forego porting Valorant to the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Regardless, expect Valorant to get ported to consoles if it has a successful PC launch.
Valorant on mobile is possible, but less likely than PlayStation, Xbox ports
Riot Games has an appreciation for the size and potential of the mobile market these days. Despite long being exclusively focused on League of Legends, Riot has been ramping up its efforts outside the realms of PCs and has already launched ports of both Teamfight Tactics and Legends of Runeterra on mobile. It also has plans to to launch a mobile MOBA game in League of Legends: Wild Rift, as well as CONV/RGENCE, a spin-off focused on Ekko.
Could Valorant end up on mobile devices?
It’s certainly possible. Improved specs on smartphones and tablets have seen numerous shooters enjoy massive success on mobile platforms. The greatest examples of this so far have been battle royale titles PUBG Mobile and Fortnite, but there are many more of both the multiplayer and single-player varieties.
Valorant mobile is definitely something that could become a reality, and it’s almost certainly on Riot’s radar. That said, don’t expect it to come out ahead of console ports unless Riot has quietly had it in the works for some time now.
Steven Rondina is a true lifelong gamer. His earliest memories are of playing video games, and he has continued playing them throughout his life with no plans to stop any time soon. Steven’s favorite franchises in gaming include Pokemon, Dark Souls, and Counter-Strike. He has previously published with Bleacher Report and other gaming outlets.
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