Valorant exploded onto the gaming scene in 2020 and this tactical shooter from Riot Games has become a firm favourite for gamers and esports enthusiasts, alike.
Valorant: Following the FPS Blueprint
Riot has been intelligent when it comes to the gameplay and features of Valorant. The title is comparable to popular games like the Counter-Strike franchise and Overwatch 2. Counter-Strike 2 launched in September 2023 after much anticipation, and Valorant has garnered its own loyal fanbase.
Counter-Strike is successful because of the game’s accessibility. It’s always been affordable and Valve released both CS:GO and Counter-Strike 2 as free-to-play. CS2 allows anyone to join as the required specifications set a low barrier and people with less cash to spend on hardware aren’t left out. It will run on nearly every system and this inclusivity is what makes it a huge success throughout the world.
Riot did an excellent job of optimising League of Legends for low spec PCs and the company has followed in these footsteps for Valorant. Riot Games wants a global audience to be able to play and compete, just like CS:GO and CS2. This is why Valorant is designed to run on a variety of PCs. You don’t need a high-end gaming rig to run Valorant. However, similar to other FPS titles, better hardware does give you an advantage. There is a striking difference for players with 30FPS compared to 60FPS or 144FPS.
Valorant Official Specifications
| Component | Minimum Specs | Recommended Specs |
|---|---|---|
| Operating System | Windows 10 (Version 2004 / Build 19041 or higher) 64-bit | Windows 10 / 11 64-bit |
| Processor | Intel Core 2 Duo E8400 AMD Athlon 200GE | Intel Core i3-4150 AMD Ryzen 3 1200 |
| Memory | 4GB RAM | 4GB RAM |
| Graphics | Intel HD 4000 AMD Radeon R5 200 | GeForce GT 730 AMD Radeon R7 240 |
Best PCs to Play Valorant
The recommended specifications for Valorant are entry-level and it’s an excellent game to start taking your first steps into PC Gaming. Most computers will run Valorant at 30FPS, but if you want an edge on the competition it’s well worth investing in a system that is capable of at least 60FPS. For more serious gamers that want to play competitively and climb up the ranks, a set up that is capable of 144FPS will ensure your PC isn’t holding you back. Don’t forget you’ll also need a 144Hz display. Fortunately, you don’t require a huge budget to achieve this goal and here are three of the best systems that we recommend to play Valorant. Should they not vibe, you can check out our full collection by clicking the button below.
Refract Gaming Crimson Pre-Built PC
- Pre-built gaming PC with three years parts and labour warranty
- AMD Ryzen 7 8700G APU with integrated graphics
- 32GB DDR5 RAM at 5600MHz
- Ample storage solution
- Can achieve up to 330FPS+ in Valorant at 1080p
OcUK Gaming Kestrel Configurable PC
- Configurable gaming PC – adjust the PC case, CPU, RAM, GPU, storage, and OS
- AMD Ryzen 5 5500 CPU with six cores and 4.2GHz boost speeds
- AMD Radeon RX 6600 GPU with 8GB VRAM
- Up to 32GB DDR4 RAM
- Multiple storage drives
OcUK Gaming Hawk Configurable PC
- Configurable gaming PC – adjust the PC case, CPU, RAM, GPU, cooler, storage, and OS
- Intel Core i5-14600KF with hybrid core architecture
- AMD Radeon RX 7700 XT GPU with RDNA 3
- Up to 64GB DDR4 RAM
- Choose up to three high-speed SSDs
Defy the Limits
What spec do you play Valorant on? Let us know in the comments below!
PC specs are subject to change.
- 4 min read
Overclockers UK
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OcUK has been the home for PC gaming enthusiasts since 2012. The blog is chock full of hardware news, upcoming games, and handy guides. As such, the Overclockers UK Blog team is dedicated to bringing you top-quality content daily.
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