Valorant, the popular tactical shooter from Riot Games, is finally making its way to consoles, with a release slated for later this year. While this is exciting news for console gamers, there’s a catch for PS5 users: the game won’t support gyro aiming on PS5.
This decision stems from a need to maintain parity with the Xbox Series X|S version, which lacks the capability to manage this feature effectively, according to the developers.
Why Gyro Aiming is a Big Deal for Valorant
Gyro aiming uses the gyroscope in a controller to allow players to aim by physically moving the controller, which can offer more precise and intuitive control once it has been mastered. It’s a feature that’s been well-received in games like Fortnite and Splatoon 2, providing console players with an aiming experience that gets closer to the precision of a mouse and keyboard setup.
Now this is literally true to a statement that
Xbox hold back gaming
— UchihaDareNial (@UchihaDareNial) June 8, 2024
However, implementing gyro aiming requires great hardware support. The PlayStation 5’s DualSense controller is equipped to handle this feature smoothly, but the Series X|S controllers currently lack this capability. This discrepancy has led Riot Games to disable gyro aiming on PS5 to ensure a level playing field across all consoles due to crossplay.
Despite the disappointment for PS5 users hoping to use gyro aiming, the overall launch of Valorant on consoles is a significant milestone. Riot Games has confirmed that the game will be available on both PS5 and Xbox Series X|S by the end of 2024, with beta testing beginning on June 14, 2024.
Valorant will not have Gyro Aim on PS5 cuz Xbox lacks the tech that all other controllers have…
byu/BJgobbleDix inVALORANT
This limited beta is invite-only, and players will need to sign up on the official website to participate. Riot has been working on bringing the game to consoles for years, with various hints and job listings suggesting this upcoming move.
The Balance Between Consoles and PC
The game has built a reputation on PC as a highly competitive game where precision and quick reflexes are pretty important. Introducing console versions of the game brings new challenges, especially in maintaining competitive balance. Riot Games aims to offer a similar experience across platforms, which is why they opted to forgo Gyro aiming on PS5. Allowing this feature only on PS5 could create an imbalance, giving PS5 players an advantage over Xbox users.
Not a blind spot for us fwiw, but it’s not supported on Xbox controllers natively. If we leaned super hard into gyro being “the way to play” on console we’d be heavily favoring PS5>Xbox, which we don’t want to do.
Gyro tech is cool, especially with ratcheting, flick stick etc.
— Coleman Palm (Altombre) (@Altombre) June 8, 2024
The exclusion of gyro aiming on the PS5 might seem like a small detail, but it actually highlights a larger issue in cross-platform gaming. PC players often have the advantage of using a mouse and keyboard, which can be more precise than traditional controllers in games that don’t have input restrictions. Gyro aiming is one way consoles can level the playing field, giving controller users a bit more precision.
This choice is in line with Riot’s strategy for guaranteeing consistency and fair gameplay. The studio understands the significance of providing an equal experience to every player, irrespective of their platform of choice. Riot is currently owned by Tencent, and their other big game is League of Legends, which will remain exclusive to PC.
What do you think of the lack of gyro aiming in order to remove any disparity between the two consoles? Let us know in the comments below.
