Can you play VALORANT on Mac?

Can you play VALORANT on Mac?
Images via Riot Games

Written by 

Tarran Stockton

Posted 

7th Apr 2023 15:09

Contents

Wondering whether you're able to play VALORANT on Mac? support for VALORANT on the Mac OS has been a hot topic ever since its initial release, with players in Apple's ecosystem wanting a taste of the competitive shooter pie too.

VALORANT has taken the competitive FPS world by storm, blending hero and tactical shooter elements to create a game you won't want to put down. So, to find out the current status of Mac support for VALORANT, read on for everything you need to know.

Can you play VALORANT on Mac?

Key art from VALORANT
Click to enlarge

Unfortunately, there is currently no VALORANT Mac support, meaning that you can only play it on a PC right now.

This is primarily down to the aggressive anti-cheat software Vanguard that VALORANT employs, which operates at the kernel level of your system. This particular anti-cheat system stops VALORANT from working with third-party software like CrossOver and Parallels which are designed to facilitate Windows use on Macs.

How to play VALORANT on Mac?

Screenshot of Viper holding a machine gun in VALORANT
Click to enlarge

There is one way to play VALORANT on Mac devices, but it involves you having one of the Intel-based systems. This workaround uses Bootcamp to install Windows 10 onto your Mac, but unfortunately, it does not work for devices with Apple chips like the M1 or M2 processors.

Here is what you will need to do if you were wondering how to play VALORANT on Mac using Bootcamp:

  • Ensure your Secure Boot setting is set to Full Security
  • Use Boot Camp Assistant to create a Windows partition
  • Format the Windows (BOOTCAMP) partition
  • Install Windows onto the partition
  • Use the Boot Camp installer in Windows

For the full installation process, follow these steps on the Apple website. Once Windows is installed onto your device, you will then be able to download the Riot launcher and install VALORANT.

Note: There is no way to play VALORANT on Mac without Bootcamp, so if you've not got an Intel-based system or don't want to install Windows then you're unfortunately out of luck.

Will VALORANT get Mac support in the future?

Screenshot of the player aiming down sights in VALORANT
Click to enlarge

Sadly, it doesn't look like VALORANT will receive official Mac support in the future either, as confirmed on a Reddit thread by a community manager, RiotBrentmeister: "Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but there are no current plans for VALORANT to support Mac OSX."

Of course, anything could happen and Riot could introduce exceptions for programs that mimic Windows usage on Mac, or introduce native Mac support to VALORANT, but for the time being, we would suggest not holding your breath.

That's all there is to know about the current status of Mac support for VALORANT, giving you an alternative if you've got the right components. Be sure to also check out our guide on what the VALORANT server tick rate is to learn how the servers work.

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