If you’ve ever been stuck waiting for a friend to show up to a gathering, or just want to squeeze in a quick ARAM between work meetings, you’ve probably wondered what can you play League of Legends on besides your clunky home gaming PC. Riot Games has expanded LoL’s accessibility a ton over the past decade, so you don’t have to drop thousands on a high-end rig to enjoy Summoner’s Rift. We’ve tested every official supported platform, plus a few workarounds that actually work, to break down exactly what options you have, what performance you can expect, and which setups are worth your time if you’re serious about climbing ranks.
What Can You Play League of Legends On: Official Supported Platforms
If you’re just starting to research compatible setups, the official supported platforms are always the safest bet to avoid anti-cheat flags, performance bugs, or lost progress. These platforms get regular updates directly from Riot, and you’ll have access to full customer support if you run into issues. The first and most popular option is Windows PC, the original platform for LoL that gets updates first and has the most optimized performance.
Minimum required specs for Windows LoL play:
- 3 GHz processor supporting SSE2 instruction set
- 4 GB of RAM (2 GB if running on older 32-bit systems)
- 16 GB of free storage space on an SSD (20 GB if using HDD)
- DirectX 10 compatible graphics card with 1 GB VRAM
MacOS is also officially supported, though performance tends to be 10-15% lower than Windows on identical hardware. M-series Macs run LoL far better than older Intel models, as Riot released a native Apple Silicon build a few years ago that eliminates the need for slow Rosetta emulation. You won’t have access to PBE servers on Mac, but all live game modes work exactly the same as they do on Windows.
For portable or casual play, you can use Wild Rift, Riot’s official mobile and console adaptation of LoL, available for iOS, Android, Xbox, and PlayStation. It’s not a 1:1 copy of the PC game, with shorter match times and slightly adjusted champion abilities, but it shares the same core cast and map design. Touch controls are fully customizable on mobile, and console versions support standard controller layouts for more precise play.
Unofficial Platforms That Work for Casual LoL Play
If you don’t have access to a Windows or Mac device, there are a few unofficial workarounds that let you play the full PC version of LoL without buying new hardware. These options aren’t officially supported by Riot, so you won’t get customer support if you run into issues, but they’re widely used by the community with very few reported problems for casual play.
Cloud gaming services like GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming let you stream the full PC version of LoL to almost any device, including Chromebooks, old laptops, tablets, and even smart TVs. All the processing happens on the service’s remote servers, so you don’t need powerful local hardware. 15 Mbps download speed is the minimum for 1080p 60 FPS streaming, and you’ll want to use a 5 GHz Wi-Fi or wired Ethernet connection to avoid input lag.
The Steam Deck is another popular unofficial option for portable LoL play. You can run the full PC version of LoL via Proton, Valve’s Windows compatibility layer, and most users report stable 60 FPS on medium settings with 4-5 hours of battery life. Just note that Riot’s anti-cheat system occasionally flags non-official launchers, so it’s best to stick to casual game modes like ARAM or normal draft if you’re playing on a Steam Deck to avoid accidental account restrictions.
Newer Chromebooks that support Android apps can also run Wild Rift directly from the Google Play Store, which is a great option for students who only have access to a school-issued laptop. Performance will vary depending on your Chromebook’s specs, but most mid-range models released in the last 3 years can run Wild Rift at 30-60 FPS on low to medium settings.
Which Platform Is Right for Your Play Style?
Before you invest in new hardware to play LoL, first ask yourself what your priorities are, since the answer to what can you play League of Legends on changes a lot based on how you plan to use it. If you’re a competitive player focused on climbing the ranked ladder, a Windows PC is the only real option. It has the lowest input lag, access to all ranked queues, and full support for custom peripherals like high-refresh rate mice and mechanical keyboards that give you a competitive edge.
If you only play a few games a week with friends, or you prefer shorter, more casual matches, Wild Rift on mobile or console is perfect. Matches only last 15-20 minutes on average, and the simplified controls are easier to pick up if you don’t have time to learn all the small mechanical nuances of the PC version. Cross-play between PC LoL and Wild Rift is not available though, so you won’t be able to queue up with friends who play on PC if you’re on Wild Rift.
For people who travel a lot, or who don’t have a dedicated gaming setup at home, cloud gaming is the best value option. You can access your full LoL account, including all your champions and skins, from any device with a stable internet connection, for a low monthly subscription fee. It’s also a great way to test how LoL runs on higher settings before you invest in a new gaming PC.
Simple Tips to Improve Performance on Any LoL Platform
No matter what device you’re playing on, there are a few small tweaks you can make to get smoother performance and lower lag without spending any money. First, always close background apps you’re not using while playing. Even small apps like web browsers or music streaming services can take up valuable RAM and processing power that would otherwise go to the game, leading to frame drops or longer load times.
Always install LoL on an SSD if you have the option, as it cuts load times in half compared to a traditional HDD, and reduces stuttering during team fights when lots of new assets are loading at once. If you’re playing on a laptop, plug it in while you play, as most laptops throttle performance significantly when running on battery power to save charge.
If you’re playing Wild Rift on mobile, turn off background app refresh for all other apps, and lower your graphics settings if you notice frame drops during team fights. A stable 30 FPS is far better than choppy 60 FPS that dips constantly during important moments. If you’re using cloud gaming, avoid streaming on 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, as it’s far more prone to interference from other devices that can cause lag or input delay.
If you run into constant anti-cheat errors on unofficial platforms, try using the official Riot Client instead of third-party launchers, and make sure you’re not running any mods or custom skins that might be flagged as cheating. Even harmless cosmetic mods can lead to temporary account restrictions if Riot’s anti-cheat system mistakes them for hacks.
At the end of the day, the answer to what can you play League of Legends on depends entirely on how you like to play, how much you want to spend, and whether you care about competitive ranked play. You don’t need a fancy $2000 gaming PC to have fun with friends in ARAM, and you can even squeeze in a few games on your phone during your commute if you don’t mind Wild Rift’s adjusted gameplay. Test out a few different platforms if you have access to them, you might be surprised how well LoL runs on devices you already own.