The short version: Split screen on PS5 isn't dead, but it's smaller than you'd think, with It Takes Two, the Lego games, Overcooked 2, Rocket League and the EA Sports FC series doing most of the heavy lifting. Check the box or store listing for "local co-op" or "split screen" before you buy, because plenty of games labelled "multiplayer" on PS5 only mean online.
Why this list is shorter than it used to be
I'll say the bit most round-ups skip over. Split screen gaming has been quietly shrinking for about a decade, and Sony's PS5 generation made it worse, not better. Developers chase online multiplayer because it's cheaper to build, easier to patch and keeps players subscribed to PlayStation Plus. Rendering two cameras at once on one console also eats into the frame rate and resolution they want to show off in marketing screenshots. So a lot of 2026's biggest PS5 releases, including most open-world games and most military shooters, either dropped split screen entirely or never had it. Call of Duty hasn't had a real split screen campaign in years. Grand Theft Auto 5 never did. If you're assuming "it's a PS5 game, it'll do couch co-op," you'll be disappointed more often than not.
That's why a focused, checked list matters more here than on most gaming topics.
The PS5 split screen games worth owning in 2026
- It Takes Two - built from the ground up for two players, no online option at all for the main story, which forces real split screen craftsmanship. Around £25-30 digital.
- Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga and Lego Harry Potter Collection - full-screen co-op (the screen only splits when players move far apart), forgiving difficulty, good for mixed-skill pairs including kids. Usually £20-35.
- Overcooked! 2 - chaotic kitchen co-op, cheap at around £15-18, and the kind of game that causes real arguments in a good way.
- Rocket League - free to play, split screen works on the same console with two controllers, and it's one of the best quick-session games for two people who want competition rather than cooperation.
- EA Sports FC 26 - full split screen for head-to-head matches, roughly £60-70 depending on edition, and the obvious pick if you and someone else argue about football.
- Moving Out 2 - slapstick furniture-moving co-op, around £20, works well as a lighter alternative to Overcooked.
- Diablo IV - supports split screen co-op on console, which surprised a lot of PC players when it launched; at full price around £60 it's a bigger investment but gives dozens of hours.
- Borderlands 3 - split screen vertical or horizontal depending on your TV, often found discounted under £20 now.
- Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 - split screen trick competitions, nostalgia-heavy, around £35-40.
- Minecraft - split screen on the same console, cheap and endlessly replayable, and probably the safest buy if you're not sure what a second player likes.
If the two players in question are kids, the Lego titles and Minecraft are the least likely to cause tears. If you're after something with a bit more skill and bragging rights involved, Rocket League or EA Sports FC do that job better than anything cooperative.
A worked example: setting a £150 budget
Say you're buying for a flat you share with a partner and you've got £150 to spend on split screen games, assuming you already own the console and two controllers (a second DualSense alone is around £65-70, so budget that separately if you need one). A sensible split might look like this:
- It Takes Two - £28
- Overcooked! 2 plus a season pass for extra kitchens - £22
- Moving Out 2 - £20
- Rocket League - free
- Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga on sale - £22
That's £92, leaving roughly £58 for a snack budget and, realistically, a second controller if you don't already have one. That combination gives you one serious story-driven co-op game, two chaos games for group nights, a free competitive option, and a family-friendly fallback, which covers most moods without wasting money on titles you'll play twice.
How to turn split screen on
This sounds basic but it trips people up constantly, usually because the option is buried inside the game's own menu rather than the PS5 system menu. Here's the general process:
- Plug in or sync a second DualSense controller (hold the PS button and the controller will connect via Bluetooth or USB-C cable in a few seconds).
- Launch the game and go to its main menu, not the PS5 home screen.
- Look for "Local Co-op," "Split Screen," "Couch Co-op," or "Offline Multiplayer." It's almost never called the same thing twice across games, which is annoying but consistent enough once you know to look for those four phrases.
- Press a face button (usually X or Cross) on the second controller when prompted, which signs in Player 2 and splits the screen.
- Adjust the split orientation if the game offers it. Most racing and sports games default to horizontal split, most platformers to vertical, and a few let you choose.
If the second controller doesn't trigger a prompt, the game almost certainly doesn't have split screen, even if the store page mentions "multiplayer." That word covers online-only modes far more often than people expect.
What to check before you buy
Store descriptions on PlayStation's digital store are not reliable for this. The safest check is to search the exact game name plus "split screen PS5" and look for a direct confirmation, ideally from the developer's own FAQ or patch notes, since online forums sometimes repeat outdated information from an earlier version of a game that later removed the feature. It's also worth checking whether split screen applies to the full campaign or only a specific mode, because some games split the screen for versus matches but go fully online for the story, which isn't the same thing.
Want AI doing the heavy lifting in your marketing?
I build the systems that handle the boring 80 percent, so you get your week back. Done properly, with the human kept in.
If you're building a wider couch co-op collection rather than just a PS5 one, it's worth comparing what's available elsewhere too. The 2 player games for the PS4 list overlaps more than you'd expect since a lot of these titles are cross-generation, and if you've got a Switch in the house as well, the 2 player Switch games for couples and siblings guide covers a different set that's often cheaper and more portable. For households with an Xbox too, the Xbox couch co-op games for two list is the equivalent on that side.
Sports and competitive options beyond football
If football isn't the draw, split screen competitive sports games are one of the more reliable categories on PS5 because the genre never really moved away from local play. If you want ideas outside the console-specific lists, the basketball games for 2 players guide covers options across formats, and if someone in the house is on a phone more than a console, the good cricket games for Android with no wifi list is a decent backup for when the TV is taken.
The uncomfortable bit worth saying plainly
If you're hoping this generation of PS5 exclusives brings back a golden age of split screen gaming, it hasn't, and the trend line points further away from it rather than back towards it. Most publishers now treat split screen as a cost rather than a feature, because building it takes extra engineering time that doesn't show up in trailers. The games on this list stay good precisely because their studios chose to prioritise it anyway, which is also why a few of them, like It Takes Two, became genuine commercial hits rather than niche curiosities. Buying from a short, verified list like this one will save you more wasted money than any general "best co-op games" article that lumps online and local play together.
Frequently asked questions
Does the PS5 support split screen gaming?
Yes, but it depends entirely on the individual game rather than the console. The PS5 itself has no system-wide split screen feature, so you need titles that specifically build local co-op into their own menus, such as It Takes Two, Overcooked 2 or Rocket League.
Can you play split screen on PS5 with one console and two controllers?
Yes, that's how it works for every title on this list. You connect a second DualSense, select local or offline co-op inside the game's menu, and the screen divides, usually horizontally or vertically depending on the game.
Why do some PS5 games not have split screen anymore?
Many studios have shifted focus to online multiplayer because it's cheaper to build and keeps players engaged through updates and live services. Split screen also demands extra rendering power from one console running two cameras at once, which developers often avoid to protect frame rate and visual fidelity.
What is the best PS5 split screen game for beginners or kids?
Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga and Minecraft are both forgiving, low-pressure choices, with simple controls and full-screen co-op that only splits when players wander apart, which makes them easier for mixed-age or mixed-skill households.
