The 45 Best Local Co-Op & Split-Screen Games You Can Play On The PS5 (March 2023) - The first knowledge sharing application in Vietnam

Although games with split-screen multiplayer aren’t as common as they once were, there are still plenty of great ones available for the PlayStation 5.

There was once a time when almost every home console game on the market featured split-screen multiplayer gameplay. As the popularity of online gaming has increased, however, those looking for the perfect couch co-op title to enjoy with friends or loved ones now find their options severely limited. Thankfully, though, there are still some developers who see the value in local split-screen and co-op multiplayer.

RELATED: Co-Op Games For People That Love Puzzles

Although still in its infancy, the PS5 already has a fairly decent selection of local multiplayer games; thanks in large to the console’s backward compatibility with PS4 titles. Many of these games, like Sackboy: A Big Adventure and FIFA 23 confine their action to a single shared screen, but there are plenty of other titles with split-screen options included as well.

Number of Players:
1-2
Orientation:
Horizontal Only
Metacritic Rating:
69

ARK: Survival Evolved can at times feel like a cross between Minecraft and Jurassic Park, with dinosaurs and crafting playing a huge role in Studio Wildcard’s action-adventure survival game. It’s a little rough around the edges in places, but those looking for a decent game that allows them to ride dinosaurs may find that their options are fairly limited beyond the title.

After a somewhat underwhelming launch, ARK: Survival Evolved has come on leaps and bounds over the past few years, with many new features and mechanics added into the game. Sadly, while two-player local co-op is one of them, it currently only works locally or on non-dedicated servers. This shouldn’t be an issue for most players, although those who have already sunk a lot of time into the game on a particular server may find these limitations frustrating.

Asterix & Obelix XXXL: The Ram From Hibernia

Number of Players:
1-4
Orientation:
N/A (Shared Screen)
Metacritic Rating:
65

Released in late 2022, Asterix & Obelix XXXL: The Ram From Hibernia is an action-adventure game that supports up to four-player local co-op. It’s far from the best-looking game on the PS5 and the pulled-back camera angles can at times make it a little difficult to keep track of what’s going on, but that doesn’t stop the game from being a lot of fun most of the time; particularly when played with friends.

Younger players probably won’t be all that familiar with the titular characters, with the comedy satire comic book series having first debuted all the way back in 1959. That shouldn’t stand in their way of enjoying what’s on offer though, as a lot of the game’s charm is derived from the way that the characters behave on-screen rather than the events that led them to their latest adventure.

Balan Wonderworld

Number of Players:
1-2
Orientation:
N/A (Shared Screen)
Metacritic Rating:
651

When Sonic the Hedgehog creator Yuji Naka announced that he was working on a new 3D platformer, a lot of people were excited. That Square Enix would be publishing and presumably helping out with the development of Balan Wonderworld only amplified this initial excitement. Naturally, the final game failed to live up to the hype, though that’s not at all to say that it’s not worth playing.

If nothing else, Balan Wonderworld is an incredibly weird video game with plenty of baffling design choices and a lot of confusing themes. Despite this, though, like an overturned car on the side of the freeway, it can be difficult to look away, with players constantly left guessing what kind of craziness will be coming their way next. As is often the case with games like this, this randomness is best shared with a friend.

Borderlands 3

Number of Players:
1-4
Orientation:
Vertical or Horizontal
Metacritic Rating:
91

Gearbox Software’s Borderlands series hasn’t changed all that much since making its debut back in late 2009. That’s not necessarily a bad thing though, with the latest entry providing all of the same carnage and loot-oriented gameplay that made earlier entries so enjoyable. It looks great too, and while some may bemoan the lack of innovation, they can at least be thankful that loot drops remain free rather than being locked behind aggressive and predatory microtransactions.

The Borderlands games have always done an excellent job of incorporating split-screen and this is once again the case in Borderlands 3. The game features both horizontal and vertical options and, exclusively on next-gen consoles, as many as four players can get involved at once. While playing online, it’s also possible for additional players to drop into the session, although the maximum number of players at any given time is four.

Number of Players:
1-2
Orientation:
Horizontal Only
Metacritic Rating:
83

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 picks up right where its predecessors left off, providing high-octane gunplay and one of the best FPS multiplayer experiences around. The single-player campaign is pretty decent too as one might expect from a Modern Warfare title, but, as is so often the case with Call of Duty games, it finds itself playing second fiddle to the multiplayer madness.

Unfortunately, split-screen support in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 is a little lackluster at launch, with players only able to play in certain game modes while utilizing the feature. Whether or not Infinity Ward will allow split-screeners to play in more game modes in the future remains to be seen, though what’s on offer can still be enjoyable when approached with the right attitude.

Can’t Drive This

Number of Players:
1-4
Orientation:
Vertical or Horizontal
Metacritic Rating:
67

In some ways, Pixel Maniacs’ Can’t Drive This is actually an anti-co-op game, despite players sharing a single split-screen. The way that it achieves this is incredibly innovative, with one player creating tracks and puzzles for the other using a series of modular components akin to those found in one of those old connect-the-pipes-style games.

The developer describes the game as a competitive co-op title, which seems somewhat fair given its core mechanics. Ultimately, however, the game is a lot of fun whatever one wishes to call it, and is well worth checking out. Granted, with four players involved things can quickly get a little hectic, but that’s arguably a big part of what makes it so appealing to so many players.

Chicory: A Colorful Tale

Number of Players:
1-2
Orientation:
N/A (Shared Screen)
Metacritic Rating:
87

Chicory: A Colorful Tale is one of the best indie games since Undertale and boasts a simple yet enjoyable gameplay loop that makes it perfect for multiplayer. Unlike many of the other great co-op multiplayer games on the PS5, in which a momentary lapse in focus can potentially have major and irreparable consequences, Chicory is refreshingly forgiving, with players easily able to make amends for their mistakes.

Together with its vibrant and charming visuals, the low-stakes nature of Chicory makes it a great game to play with young children who perhaps lack the dexterity for more complex games. Conversely, the ease with which it can be picked up makes it a great jumping-off point for those who are unfamiliar with video games. This unmatchable accessibility allows players to relax and focus on sharing this charming experience with the friend or loved one with whom they are playing.

Children of Morta

Number of Players:
1-2
Orientation:
N/A (Shared Screen)
Metacritic Rating:
80

There are plenty of great roguelike games available on the PlayStation 5, but few can hold a candle to Children of Morta. The action RPG was released in late 2019 and went on to garner an impressively large fanbase thanks to its fantastic design.

Gameplay is addictive and the sound and visuals do a wonderful job of complementing one another. The narrative provided is an interesting one and the attention to detail that goes into lore and worldbuilding is incredibly impressive considering the size of the development team.

Number of Players:
1-4
Orientation:
N/A (Shared Screen)
Metacritic Rating:
86

Would the multiplayer experience on offer in Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time have been better if the developers had allowed players to play together simultaneously? Absolutely. Even so, the fact that a co-op multiplayer mode was implemented at all is still a nice bonus, particularly for a platformer of this quality.

The game implements a controller-swapping system, with players handing over the pad after reaching a checkpoint or dying. There’s also a more head-to-head oriented mode that sees players racing to reach checkpoints or break as many boxes as possible, though this is again all handled with a single controller, meaning that players will have to sit and wait their turn.

Number of Players:
1-5
Orientation:
N/A (Shared Screen)
Metacritic Rating:
71

Much like Supermassive Games’ other narrative-driven survival horror games, The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil In Me supports both local and co-op multiplayer. In a welcome change though, the experience ends up being a lot better for those playing locally, with support for up to five players as opposed to just two. Granted, four of those players will be sat doing nothing for most of the time, but it’s nice to have the option of playing together nonetheless.

Each player can be assigned to a different character (or multiple characters if there aren’t enough players) and will be handed the controller whenever the time comes to make a decision or act. One wrong move can lead to their own character’s death, or, in some cases, the death of one of the other players’ characters instead. It’s this near-constant sense of jeopardy that makes the game so enjoyable and a must-play for any horror fan.

Number of Players:
1-2
Orientation:
N/A (Shared Screen)
Metacritic Rating:
70

Given the massive popularity of the Demon Slayer anime, a video game adaptation always seemed like something of a certainty. Likewise, that it ended up taking the form of an arena fighter probably didn’t surprise too many people, given that the fighting game sub-genre so often goes hand in hand with anime adaptations.

Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Hinokami Chronicles isn’t the best fighting game to come out of 2021, but it’s still a decent enough game. Fans of the anime should really enjoy what the game has to offer, more so if they experience it with a like-minded friend or family member as opposed to on their own.

Number of Players:
1-2
Orientation:
Horizontal Only
Metacritic Rating:
67

Though its single-player experience ultimately failed to live up to the high standards set by some of its predecessors, Destroy All Humans! 2 – Reprobed is far from a bad game. In fact, for better or worse, it’s an incredibly faithful recreation of the 2006 original, bringing Crypto kicking and screaming into the modern era of gaming.

The game supports two-player local co-op with each player given their own part of the screen as well as a shared mini-map and objectives list. Though it’s pretty normal for a game to be better when played with a friend, few benefit quite as much as Destroy All Humans! 2 – Reprobed, with its split-screen co-op mode helping to turn what would otherwise be a bang-average experience into a truly great one.

Dirt 5

Number of Players:
1-4
Orientation:
Vertical or Horizontal
Metacritic Rating:
80

Dirt 5 is arguably one of the best multiplayer racing games released in the past few years and a great one to enjoy with friends or family on the couch. It features a plethora of cars, varied and challenging courses, and a wide variety of game modes and challenges to keep players busy for hours at a time.

Racing games have always done a fantastic job of implementing split-screen and Dirt 5 is no exception. The game features many of different screen options and, unlike many other split-screen titles, adjusts the field of view accordingly rather than simply maintaining the original aspect ratio and filling the excess space with black bars.

DNF Duel

Number of Players:
1-2
Orientation:
N/A (Shared Screen)
Metacritic Rating:
80

Few developers understand the fighting game genre quite like Arc System Works. The Japanese studio has put out some of the best fighting games in recent memory, and DNF Duel definitely ranks among them. The DNF spin-off is one of the most intense fighting game experiences out there and is well worth checking out for fans of the genre.

Whether played solo or with a friend, players will find a lot of enjoyment here, though the latter can be a lot more exhilarating if both players are around the same level. There are sixteen playable characters in the base version of the game with more arriving via DLC, ensuring that players will be able to find a fighter who matches their own style of play.

Escape Academy

Number of Players:
1-2
Orientation:
Vertical Only
Metacritic Rating:
79

Released in July of 2022, Escape Academy is a puzzle game in which players are placed into the shoes of students who are training to become escape room masters. The game can be played by a single person, but becomes infinitely more enjoyable when tackled with a friend. Players can either do this over the internet or while sitting together on the couch, as this is one of the many split-screen games on the PS5.

There are numerous escape rooms found throughout the game, each of which is based on a different academic subject. This makes it great for local co-op encounters, as the strengths of one player can make up for the weaknesses of the other. Granted, some of the puzzles are a little too easy, while others are perhaps just a tiny bit too hard, but the complete package remains a fun one when all’s said and done.

FIFA 23

Number of Players:
1-4
Orientation:
N/A (Shared Screen)
Metacritic Rating:
76

Like many other long-running sports sims, EA’s FIFA franchise is often criticized for its lack of innovation, and for good reason. For years it has felt like the franchise has been treading water, though that’s not really the case with the series’ last few entries. FIFA 22’s HyperMotion technology helped the game feel like a true next-gen title and made it one of the most realistic football games ever made, both in terms of its mechanics and its visuals. FIFA 23 takes this one step further and offers great local multiplayer support.

RELATED: FIFA 23: Complete Guide

Up to four local players can play the game offline, while two can play together while connected to PSN. Unlike some other co-op games with online multiplayer, only one of these players will need to have a PS Plus account, with the other able to join as a guest by pressing the Triangle button. Local co-op works in just about every game mode, including Volta, Kick-Off, and the microtransaction-heavy, FIFA Ultimate Team.

Fortnite

Number of Players:
1-2
Orientation:
Horizontal Only
Metacritic Rating:
78

Having helped to spark the battle royale trend that just doesn’t seem to want to go away, Fortnite has grown from strength to strength. It’s now one of the most popular and most profitable video games of all time, having generated billions of dollars in revenue for its developer and publisher, Epic Games.

Fortnite’s split-screen mode is beautifully presented, although some may have preferred having a slightly wider field of view rather than character images. That said, it’s arguably a far better solution than simply having black or empty space on the screen as many other developers opt for. Both players are able to take part in the battle royale insanity online and it’s even possible for one player to leave midway through the match without it affecting the other.

Gran Turismo 7

Number of Players:
1-2
Orientation:
Vertical Only
Metacritic Rating:
87

While there can be no excusing the aggressive monetization found throughout Gran Turismo 7, it’s hard to argue that the gameplay itself isn’t top-notch. Those looking for a realistic driving simulator really aren’t likely to be disappointed, with all of the cars measuring up almost perfectly to their real-world counterparts.

It is worth noting, however, that for some strange reason, the team over at Polyphony Digital thought that it would be a good idea to lock the game’s multiplayer mode behind single-player progress. As such, those looking for a multiplayer racing game that they can dive right into may be better served with WRC 9 or the excellent Dirt 5.

Goat Simulator 3

Number of Players:
1-4
Orientation:
Vertical or Horizontal
Metacritic Rating:
68

Those who enjoy causing chaos will likely adore Goat Simulator 3. It offers all of the same wacky antics as its predecessor does while also opening up the door to local co-op multiplayer, with support for up to four players and the ability to play with either horizontal or vertical split-screen depending on the number of players.

Playing with friends makes the classic Goat Simulator madness all the more enjoyable, particularly when there are four players involved. Though it might not be the best split-screen multiplayer game on the PlayStation 5, there is a strong argument to be made for it being one of the most enjoyable, albeit in short bursts.

Number of Players:
1-4
Orientation:
N/A (Shared Screen)
Metacritic Rating:
83

Players that are seeking high-octane platforming action and a challenging game filled with some great humor should definitely check out Guacamelee! 2. The sequel to 2013’s smash indie hit, this time the release gives players a chance to play cooperatively with a friend.

Set on a single screen, the couch co-op feels smooth and works well, giving players a chance to conquer platforming sections and puzzles together while simultaneously beating down the opposition with a flurry of flashy wrestling moves. Guacamelee! 2 makes the already exciting life of a luchador look even more awe-inspiring thanks to its humorous storyline and fantastic gameplay.