While Valorant isn’t a very demanding game in terms of system resources, players generally prefer installing the competitive shooter on their SSD for faster load times. This raises the question: is an SSD essential for playing Valorant, or can the game run just as smoothly on an HDD?
Do You Need an SSD for Playing Valorant?
The short answer to this question is, no, you don’t need an SSD for playing Valorant. However, installing the game on an SSD is highly recommended since you’ll have to suffer from extremely high loading times upon installing it on an HDD.
When installing Valorant on an HDD, not only will you have to sit through a painfully long boot-up time, but also extended loading screens when trying to enter matches. In many cases, you may find all the other players in the game waiting for you to finish loading.
Is Valorant Playable on an HDD?
Once you’re loaded into a game, Valorant is definitely playable on an HDD. In fact, you’re unlikely to notice much of a difference in performance between playing on an HDD and an SSD.
With that being said, some players have reported facing micro-stutters when trying to play Valorant on HDD, especially during intense gunfights or ability usage, making an SSD a more reliable option for consistent performance.
