7 Valorant settings you should customize for a better ranked experience

In a nutshell, Valorant relies heavily on gunplay and ability usage. These are skills that must be developed over time. Players should engage with the gameplay routinely until they get the hang of things.

Knowing when to use which ability makes all the difference in Valorant. Another skill to acquire is shooting in a straight line. However, to use those abilities and be able to shoot correctly, good visuals are essential. Targets will be easily missed if players cannot see what they're shooting at.

The following section dives into settings that players should tweak to maximize their chances of winning. Although customizing the settings won't automatically improve the gaming sense, adjusting the visuals will aid players in progressing.

Valorant offers an array of settings that guide the gameplay

Most of these settings impact the visual element. They were added as quality-of-life improvements. Ranging from smoothening out visuals to improving FPS rates, these minor tweaks can often make things easier for players in Valorant.

1) Resolution

This is probably the most important setting players need to change in Valorant. It's rare to see gamers leaving default resolution in their video settings. However, changing to an alternative resolution might offer some benefits.

First, it reduces the overall graphics quality, but it improves performance. Secondly, since a lower resolution than the default stretches the image, players who use the dot crosshair have an easier time dealing with enemies because the crosshair gets stretched, allowing better crosshair placement.

2) Raw Input Buffer

The Raw Input Buffer is probably the most underrated setting in the game. While many players prefer to keep it off, for the most part, it's best if this feature is left on while playing Valorant. This feature improves mouse performance in the game. It directly affects the ability of the player to shoot and aim. Hence, keeping the Raw Input Buffer on can be beneficial in the long run.

3) Blood

A shooting game without blood feels incomplete. Although the splatter in Valorant isn't that great, it comes in handy. If an enemy is hiding behind a box and players shoot at it, there's a splatter if the bullets hit the enemy.

If the blood is turned off, players won't be able to notice if an enemy is hiding behind boxes, even if they hit the target. This prevents the use of valuable intel by the team. Thus, blood should be turned on at all times.

4) Corpses

Once a player is killed, their corpse stays on the map until the next round starts. This can be adjusted in the settings. Although corpses don't affect most matches, it can get slightly confusing for Sage, primarily because she can revive a downed enemy.

Turning corpses off removes dead bodies from the map, replacing them with bubbles. Sage can then approach a bubble and use her ultimate on it to revive her downed ally.

Also, in case the same area contains two downed allies, whenever there are two overlapping bodies, Sage might accidentally end up reviving an ally she didn't want to. Such situations can be avoided with corpses turned off.

5) Enemy Highlight Color

Red is the default enemy highlight color in Valorant. This setting can also be changed. Although only three highlight colors are available, i.e., red, yellow, and purple, players usually prefer red. However, changing the highlight color to purple or yellow might yield better results. Anything other than the norm immediately catches the eye.

Furthermore, players can also re-consider the color of their crosshairs and coordinate with the highlight color. The better the contrast, the easier it is to aim.

6) First Person Handedness

This is probably the most overlooked setting in the game. Players can change hands in which they hold the weapon. While it might look slightly odd while playing, swapping between left and right hands to adjust aim can aid shooting skills.

The basic idea behind this feature is to give more visual space to the dominant eye. Players with a dominant right eye can shift the weapon to the left hand, while players with a left dominant eye can shift the weapon to the right hand.

7) Crosshairs

More often than not, the default crosshair doesn't cut it for many players in Valorant. Thankfully, Riot Games decided to incorporate an elaborate crosshair customization system.

Players can get all sorts of crosshairs, from dots to flowers to static "x marks the spot" crosshairs. Several professional players have also developed their crosshairs. Choose from several options to better suit a playing style.

Tweaking these settings can offer an elevated experience of Valorant. However, note that adjusting the settings is only one part of the story. Aiming and game sense should always be the top priority. Above all, routinely practice the basic skills in training.