If you’ve ever logged onto Valorant on your PC and gotten a text from a friend who just picked up the console version begging to queue, you’ve probably asked yourself can console and pc play valorant together. It’s a super common question, especially since Riot took its time rolling out console support after the game first launched on PC. I’ve been testing crossplay with friends across PS5, Xbox, and PC for months, so I’ve got all the details you need to know before you send that party invite.
Can Console and PC Play Valorant Together? Official Riot Rules
The short answer is yes, you can absolutely play Valorant with friends on console and PC in the same party with no extra hoops to jump through for most game modes. Riot rolled out full cross-platform play support the same day the console version launched, so it’s been fully functional from day one with no major glitches so far. Crossplay between console and PC works for all casual and unrated game modes by default, with no extra settings you need to toggle first.
If you’re wondering can console and pc play valorant together in competitive mode, the answer is also yes, as long as your group falls within the rank gap rules. Just like same-platform parties, your mixed platform group has to fall within the allowed rank difference to queue for competitive. If one player is Radiant and another is Silver, you won’t be able to join the same competitive lobby, no matter what platforms you’re on. You also can’t queue for the highest rank competitive tiers (Immortal and Radiant) in a mixed platform party if the rank gap is wider than two tiers, just like same-platform play.
Key Differences Between Console and PC Crossplay Lobbies
Even though crossplay works seamlessly, there are a few key differences between mixed platform lobbies and same-platform lobbies you should know about before you queue. The biggest one is how matchmaking works for input types. Riot uses input-based matchmaking for most lobbies to keep gameplay fair, but that changes when you have a mixed input party. If your mixed platform party includes at least one mouse and keyboard user, all players will be matched against KBMM lobbies, even if most of your group is on controller.
That means console players using controller might be at a small disadvantage if they queue with PC friends who use mouse and keyboard, since KBMM users typically have faster, more precise aim. Riot did add a small aim assist buff for controller players in mixed lobbies to help level the playing field, but it’s not enough to completely close the gap for new controller players.
Before you jump into a mixed platform lobby, keep these other key notes in mind:
Your rank is shared across all platforms, so a loss on console will affect your PC competitive rank and vice versa, even if you only play one input type. That’s a big one for competitive players who only want to play controller on console and KBMM on PC, so keep that in mind before you queue for ranked on a new platform.
How to Queue With Friends Across Console and PC in Valorant
Now that you know can console and pc play valorant together, queuing with cross-platform friends is super simple once you know how to add them properly. The most common mistake people make is trying to add friends via their platform gamertag (like PSN or Xbox ID) instead of their Riot ID. Riot uses its own friend system across all platforms, so you’ll need your friend’s full Riot ID, including the # and 4-5 digit tagline at the end, to add them.
Once you’ve added them to your Riot friends list, just send them a party invite like you would any other friend. Make sure all party members have their region set to the same location, or you won’t be able to join the same lobby, even if you’re friends on Riot. If you’re getting an error that you can’t join your friend’s party, double check that both of you have the latest game update installed, and that neither of you has a penalty for leaving recent matches.
If you’re still having issues connecting, try restarting your game. Small crossplay bugs pop up occasionally right after new patches drop, and a quick restart almost always fixes the problem. I’ve only run into this twice in months of crossplay, so it’s not a common issue by any means.
Should You Enable Crossplay for Console and PC Valorant Play?
Whether you should keep crossplay enabled depends entirely on what you want out of your Valorant games. If you’re a casual player who mostly plays to hang out with friends across different platforms, you should definitely keep it enabled. Crossplay opens up way more opportunities to play with people you know, and queue times are usually much shorter when crossplay is on, especially for less popular modes like Swiftplay or Spike Rush during off-peak hours.
If you’re a competitive console player who only uses controller, you might want to turn crossplay off for solo queue. Competitive console players who only play solo should turn crossplay off to avoid being matched against higher-skilled KBMM users, which can make the ranked grind much harder. You’ll still be matched with other console players on PS5 and Xbox, so you won’t have to deal with the input gap, and queue times are still pretty reasonable for most ranks in most regions.
PC players can also turn crossplay off if they don’t want to play with console users, but it’s usually not necessary. Most PC lobbies have very few console players even with crossplay enabled, since most console players who queue alone opt to turn crossplay off to avoid KBMM lobbies. I keep crossplay enabled on my PC account and almost never run into console players in solo competitive lobbies.
Now you know the answer to can console and pc play valorant together, plus all the rules, tips, and settings you need to make your cross-platform parties run smoothly. If you’re a console player new to crossplay, I recommend starting with a few unrated matches first to get used to playing against KBMM users before you jump into competitive with your PC friends. It takes a little getting used to, but being able to play with all your friends no matter what device they own is more than worth the small learning curve.
