The short version: the best 2 player PS5 games for the couch are the ones with real split-screen, not online-only co-op with a local option bolted on as an afterthought. Stick to titles like It Takes Two, Overcooked! All You Can Eat, Rocket League, Lego games, and Gran Turismo 7 for the split-screen races, and check the box art or PlayStation Store listing for "local co-op" or "split-screen" before you buy anything.
I'm not a games journalist. I'm a 53-year-old marketing consultant who spends most of her week talking about AI and business, which is exactly why I notice when something is designed for two people on one sofa rather than two people on two different continents pretending to be in the same room. Most "best 2 player PS5 games" lists are written by people who skim the back of the box. This one isn't going to waste your evening.
What "couch co-op" means on PS5
Here's the bit nobody tells you clearly enough: a lot of games labelled "co-op" on the PS5 Store are online co-op only, which means you and the other person each need a PS5, a copy of the game, and a PS Plus subscription. That's not a couch game, that's a logistics project. Genuine couch co-op means split-screen or shared-screen on one console, one TV, one set of controllers you're fighting over for the good one.
So the filter I'd apply, and the one most lists skip, is this: before you buy, search the game name plus "split screen PS5" and look for a confirmation, because Sony doesn't make this obvious on the store page itself.
The ones that work on one sofa
- It Takes Two - built from the ground up for two people, split-screen the whole way through, roughly 12 to 15 hours to finish together. No online needed if you're both on the couch with two controllers.
- Overcooked! All You Can Eat - chaos cooking, four player local if you've got the controllers, but brilliant at two. Rounds last a few minutes each, so it's perfect for a short session rather than committing a whole evening.
- Rocket League - split-screen football with cars, free to download, and still one of the best things to put on when someone's popped round for an hour.
- Lego games (Star Wars Skywalker Saga, Marvel Super Heroes, Harry Potter Collection) - drop-in drop-out split-screen, forgiving for anyone who isn't a serious gamer, which makes them good for mixed-skill pairs like a parent and a ten-year-old.
- Gran Turismo 7 - split-screen racing, though it's worth knowing the split-screen mode is more limited than the full single-player career, so don't expect every track and car class.
- Stardew Valley (co-op mode) - slower, gentler, good for a lazy Sunday rather than an adrenaline night, and relaxing after a hard week.
- A Way Out - split-screen only, which is unusual and deliberate, a prison-break story designed specifically to be played by two people in one room.
A worked example: picking games for an actual evening
Say you're hosting a friend for the evening and you've got the PS5, two controllers, and maybe three hours before everyone's tired. I'd structure it like this: start with 20 minutes of Rocket League while you're both still chatting and half-watching, because it needs almost no explanation. Move into an hour of Overcooked! once you're both warmed up, because the chaos works best when you're already a bit loose. Then finish with a chunk of It Takes Two if you're planning a second night together, since it rewards continuity rather than one-off sessions. That's a realistic three-hour couch night that doesn't need a single online account shared between you.
The uncomfortable bit nobody puts in these lists
Split-screen gaming on PS5 is, frankly, a shrinking category. Sony and most big studios have quietly deprioritised it because online co-op sells more copies, since two people online means two purchases instead of one. That's why so many "co-op" games released since 2022 or so have dropped local split-screen entirely, Diablo IV and Baldur's Gate 3 among them on console. If you want real couch gaming, you're increasingly shopping from a shrinking back catalogue plus a handful of studios like Hazelight (who made It Takes Two and A Way Out) that have made split-screen their whole identity on principle. Worth knowing before you build a wishlist around games that turn out to be online-only.
Budget and setup, with real numbers
A second DualSense controller costs around £54 to £64 in the UK depending on the colour and retailer, which is often more than the game itself. If you're buying for regular couch sessions rather than a one-off, that's the real cost to budget for, not the £35 to £70 for the game. PS Plus Essential, which you only need for the online-dependent titles, runs about £6.99 a month or £49.99 a year, so skip it entirely if you're sticking to the local split-screen list above.
If you've got kids or a less experienced partner, difficulty settings matter more than genre. It Takes Two and the Lego games both let you adjust or auto-assist, which keeps a mismatched pair from one person carrying the whole session while the other just watches.
If you want something with more edge
Couch co-op isn't all cooking games and puzzle platformers. If you fancy something scrappier, the genre crosses over nicely with beat em up games, which have always been built around two people and one screen since the arcade days, and plenty of modern remasters bring that straight to PS5. If horror's more your thing for a two-person night, it's worth looking at what works for co-op horror games played with friends, even though many of those lean online rather than split-screen, so check the local play claim carefully before buying.
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I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
And if the PS5 isn't the only machine in the house, the same couch-gaming logic applies elsewhere too. I've covered Xbox offline co-op games for couch play if you're torn between consoles, and if you're setting a younger pair up on something cheaper and lower-stakes, offline farming games for two players on Chromebook or offline bike racing games for an old laptop are worth a look for a non-console night.
My actual recommendation
If you only buy one thing from this list, make it It Takes Two. It's the single best example of what two-player couch gaming on PS5 is meant to feel like, it never asks for an online account, and it's finished in a handful of sittings rather than demanding a forever commitment. Add Overcooked! as the lighter, repeatable option for when friends come round and you want something with no learning curve and genuine laughing-out-loud chaos.
Frequently asked questions
Do 2 player PS5 games need two copies of the game?
No, not for local split-screen titles. One disc or digital copy on one console covers both players sitting on the same couch with two controllers. You only need two copies if you're playing online co-op on separate consoles.
Which PS5 games have real split-screen, not just online co-op?
It Takes Two, A Way Out, Overcooked! All You Can Eat, Rocket League, the modern Lego games, and Gran Turismo 7 (in a limited form) all have genuine split-screen you can play on one TV without going online.
Do I need PS Plus for 2 player couch games on PS5?
Not for local split-screen titles played on one console. You only need PS Plus if the game specifically requires an online connection, which is worth checking on the store page before you buy.
Why do so few new PS5 games support split-screen?
Most big publishers now favour online co-op because it typically sells two copies of a game instead of one, so split-screen has been quietly dropped from many newer titles. It's worth checking for local co-op support specifically rather than assuming any co-op label includes it.
