Valorant Mobile vs PC: what is different and what is the same

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Valorant Mobile is not a port of the PC game squeezed onto a phone. Riot and Tencent's Lightspeed Studios rebuilt it for touchscreens, and it launched in China on 19 August 2025. The core is the same tactical 5v5 shooter, but quite a lot has changed around it. If you know the PC game, this is what to expect.

What stays the same

• Two teams of five, attackers and defenders, planting and defusing the Spike.
• Agents with the same roles (duelists, initiators, controllers, sentinels) and abilities based on the PC versions.
• Familiar maps, guns and the buy-phase economy.
• Precise gunplay. Positioning, crosshair placement and utility still decide rounds.

Controls and movement

This is the biggest difference. Instead of WASD, you move with a virtual joystick, and movement is not just "moving" or "stopped" like on a keyboard. How far you push the stick changes your speed. That is why the game has several walk modes for moving silently, which I explain in Valorant Mobile basic settings.

• Fully customisable HUD: you can move and resize every button, and use 2, 3 or 4 fingers.
• Smart fire options per weapon class, such as firing as soon as you scope.
• Gyroscope aiming, which many mobile players use for fine aim.
• Aim assist for new players.

Shorter matches

Mobile players play in shorter sessions, so the mobile version changes round timers, and reports say matches can have fewer rounds than PC. The aim is for a match to take roughly 15 to 20 minutes, instead of the 30 to 45 minutes a full PC match can take.

Agents and maps

Valorant Mobile started with a smaller roster than PC, with 17 agents reported in the 2025 beta, and has added more in updates. During 2026, update reports mention agents such as Deadlock, Waylay and Harbor, and maps such as Sunset and Abyss. The mobile version also gets content PC does not have, including exclusive skins and its own battle pass.

Accounts, skins and progress

• Your PC skins do not carry over to mobile, and mobile skins do not carry over to PC.
• Progress and rank are separate. Riot treats the two as independent games.
• In China you sign in with a QQ or WeChat account, see how to pre-register for the China version.
• Reports say skins on mobile are cheaper than on PC.

No cross-play with PC

Riot has indicated that mobile players will not be matched with PC players. A mouse and a touchscreen are too different to compete fairly, so matchmaking is mobile-only.

Features PC players do not have

Mobile gets several features PC fans have asked for, according to reports from the China version:

• Watching your friends' matches live.
• More options in custom rooms.
• A highlights feed for short clips that players upload, which you can watch and share.
• A replay system with player statistics.
• A training mode, and custom controls you can save per agent.

Tip The first thing to do as a PC player is set up your HUD and walk mode in the training range before you play a real match. Your game sense carries over straight away; your hands need a few sessions.

Will it run on my phone?

Tencent's published requirements for the China version start at Android 5 with 3 GB of RAM or an iPhone with an A9 chip, but for smooth play you want a recent phone with 6 GB of RAM or more. The full list is in the Valorant Mobile release status article.

FAQ

Sources

• Esports.net: Valorant Mobile has many more features than PC
• Hotspawn: How does Valorant Mobile work? (2026 guide)
• Valomobile.in: Valorant Mobile vs Valorant PC
• Valorant-Spind: Valorant Mobile release status and phone check

Written by Zibno from the sources listed above. I update this page when something official changes.