Highlights

• The PS4 offers a variety of split-screen multiplayer games, allowing you to play with a friend on the same console.
• Resident Evil 5 and Team Sonic Racing are among the best split-screen titles on the PS4.
• These games provide fun and engaging experiences, from deep RPGs to cooperative kart racing.

The PS4 is generally used for its online platform, but many people don't realize it is also great for playing split-screen multiplayer games. These games vary in genre, but they all have one thing in common: you and a friend can play in your home on the same exact couch. Your friends may not own a PS4, or you only have one console in your residence, but these games allow the fun to continue when you and your buddy get together.

There are plenty of these types of games on the system. However, several of them clearly rise above the others in terms of fun and intrigue. As such, they deserve the spotlight. So, here are the best split-screen titles the PS4 has to offer.

Updated March 16, 2024 By Ben Jessey: There are plenty of fun split-screen games to play on the PlayStation 4. We created this list to shine a light on a bunch of them. In this update, we've added a few more to the collection.

Destroy All Humans! 2

The PlayStation 4 allows you to play the original version of Destroy All Humans! 2. As the title suggests, it's a split-screen action adventure game that primarily revolves around destroying humans.

That's not the main goal, though. Your alien character is actually trying to help their species and get revenge on the KGB. However, the game doesn't put significant focus on the story. The experience is more about destroying things and causing chaos, which is much more fun when someone else is along for the ride, too.

Minecraft Dungeons

Minecraft Dungeons is very different from regular Minecraft. This title isn't about punching trees and building things - it's a dungeon crawler. Therefore, you roam around dungeons, solving puzzles, avoiding traps, and killing things.

It's much simpler to get a hang of than some more traditional dungeon crawlers. Despite its simplicity, the gameplay remains satisfying and fun. Another positive aspect is the use of Minecraft's art style and presentation. It makes everything look really stunning.

Portal Knights

To begin Portal Knights, you craft a unique, customizable character and select your class. Then, you're put into a colorful, open world where you have the freedom to go about your business how you see fit. You can do things such as explore, build, battle enemies, and more.

It's like an RPG version of Minecraft. Yet, this game has more of a traditional campaign and quests to complete. So, despite being a sandbox environment, you have a goal that you can achieve with a buddy in split-screen.

Goat Simulator

Simulation games are typically serious affairs. But no game called Goat Simulator could ever be serious. This is a wacky action game where you control a goat and are unleashed upon a city. There's no real objective. You're just encouraged to create as much chaos as possible.

Now, you may be thinking, how much trouble can a goat cause? Well, in this game, they can cause a lot of problems. More specifically, you can cause problems as you're the one controlling them. You do so by interacting with all sorts of different things littered around the world. The number of interactable elements mixed with the game's ragdoll physics makes the experience very fun, especially with more than one player.

Borderlands 3

Borderlands 3's story is about a group of Vault Hunters (aka you) attempting to stop a pair of dangerous twins with evil intentions. It's a decent tale, but it's mainly there just to give you an excuse to travel around the dangerous world of Pandora, shooting things and having a good time.

This is where the game excels, as its pure action-packed gameplay is a delight, especially with friends. The shooting feels smooth, and there's plenty of enemy variety. Plus, as the title boasts RPG elements, there are fun special abilities to use, too.

Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham

The game may have Batman in the title, but Lego Batman 3 is more of a general DC game as it contains many characters from the comic universe, including heroes and villains. Most of them feature in the main story, which revolves around Brianiac's invasion of Earth. The difficult predicament convinces the forces of good and evil to team together.

So, there are some strange team-ups throughout the game, and you get to experience them with a buddy. The gameplay is what you expect to see in a Lego game as you run around vibrant levels, smashing things to bits and beating up enemies. It's casual and exciting fun.

Quake 2

Quake 2 is a classic sci-fi FPS title that has recently been enhanced for newer consoles. It isn't a full remake, so it still looks and feels a lot like the original, but it runs smoother.

If you're not an expert on Quake, all you need to know is that you use big guns to destroy all sorts of dangerous enemies. And you can do that with up to three friends by your side as you take on the entire campaign in split-screen. There are also some PvP modes to enjoy if you feel like killing your friends instead of working alongside them.

Samurai Warriors 5

There are a few different types of hack-and-slash games. Some of the most interesting incorporate a one versus 100 approach where you face off against a screen full of foes all at the same time. This is what you experience in Samurai Warriors 5.

However, in this game, you don't have to face all the enemies alone. The title offers a cooperative Citadel mode where you and a friend take on waves of enemies as you attempt to defend bases. It isn't a completely original mode, but the core combat makes it fun.

Resident Evil 6

Resident Evil 6 is split into four campaigns that feature different protagonists, and all their stories intertwine with one another. Each one can be played in split-screen co-op.

It's not a game beloved by the Resident Evil fanbase because it's a lot more action-packed than the horror series is expected to be. However, as an action game, it provides plenty of silly fun. After all, most sequences have you fighting against all sorts of outrageous beasts in fast-based third-person gunfights. There are even some boss battles thrown in, too.

Divinity: Original Sin - Enhanced Edition

In the first Divinity Original Sin, you play as two customizable heroes known as Source Hunters. They're tasked with stopping a mysterious energy known as the Source. Yet, this is a deep RPG, so the compelling narrative gets more complicated than it initially seems.

Plus, it isn't all about the main story anyway, as there is plenty of side content for you to engage with. Whatever you're doing, though, you can bring a friend along for the ride. Together you make decisions and participate in turn-based battles.

Team Sonic Racing

Mario isn't the only gaming mascot that stars in kart racing games. The characters from the Sonic universe also take to the track to compete with one another in several titles. However, not only does Team Sonic Racing allow you to compete against friends, you can team up with them, too.

This is because, as the title of the game suggests, you can play team races. In them, you all still have your own car, but you share power-ups. And your score at the end of the race is determined by where everyone finishes. All this can be played in up to 4-player split-screen.

Can’t Drive This

Can't Drive This is a unique racing party game where one player builds a track and another player drives on it. If those tasks happened in that order, the game would be quite simple. Yet, the building and driving happen at the exact same time. So, the driver has to hope that the builder puts the right pieces of track in the right places.

After all, it's not like they can pull up to give the track creator some time since the car blows up if it drops below a certain speed. It makes for a very chaotic experience that can be enjoyed by four players.

Outward

While the RPGs are generally single-player experiences, there are some good co-op role-playing games, too. For example, Outward allows you to play through the whole thing in two-player split-screen. During the game, you play as an unlucky character who inherits a large debt that they have to pay off. To do so, they have to work with one of the game's factions, and you get to choose which one.

As you can tell by the story premise, you don't control a special hero of any kind. You play as a regular person, which means you usually have to outsmart the opposition in combat. Enemies are your only threat, though, as the game has survival mechanics, meaning you have to avoid starvation, dehydration, or getting a disease.

Stardew Valley

Stardew Valley is one of the most famous relaxing games in recent memory. In it, you take over a farm that is in a pretty bad state, and you fix it up. At least that is what you're encouraged to do, but the title gives you the freedom to go about your Stardew life how you see fit.

You don't have to live that life alone, though. There is a co-op option in the game that allows another person to join you as a farmhand. Yet, that doesn't mean they just have to stick to working on the farm. They can do a lot of the same things as the host.

Don't Starve Together

Don't Starve Together is a different breed of multiplayer split-screen game. The goal of the game is in its name, but it is infused with elements of horror and the design consists of a stylistic approach. You can play split-screen online with your friend and explore the numerous expansion packs they have made available.

Together, you can craft items and create structures as you battle monsters and a variety of other surprises you won't be expecting. You and your friend will be blown away by the nature of this game and the fun you will have while playing it.

Totally Reliable Delivery Service

As the name suggests, Totally Reliable Delivery Service puts you in the shoes of delivery drivers. However, these aren't the standard people you expect to see when your package arrives in real life. These are wobbly ragdoll creatures.

You have to attempt to control them and the various vehicles located in the open world to get your packages to the correct destination. It's a very wacky and humorous experience, especially when you have a friend by your side.

Screencheat

There are some unwritten rules in gaming. One of them is if you're playing split-screen, you're forbidden to look at someone else's screen. This rule has been around forever. However, in Screencheat, you have to look at other people's screens.

This is because the game resembles a GoldenEye-like PVP game, but with the twist that everyone is invisible. Therefore, the only way you can figure out where they are is by looking at their screens. Each map contains plenty of different colored environments to make it easy to identify where others are hiding. It's clever and fun.

Darksiders Genesis

Darksiders is a long-running series with plenty of instalments. Genesis serves as a prequel to the main games and features the fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse, Strife. He teams up with his brother War (aka player two) to investigate what Lucifer is planning.

Along the way, the brothers face many enemies. The combat is of a top-down hack-and-slash variety, and each character is a bit different. Strife uses pistols, while War favors the blade. When not fighting, they can do some platforming or general exploring.

Earth Defense Force 5

Anyone who has played an Earth Defense Force game in the past will know what to expect with EDF 5. Every mission in this wild game is about surviving hordes of enemies. And this isn't like any regular horde.

There are always an incredible amount of beasts coming your way. These are not tiny soldiers, either. They're all giant monsters that tower over you and your buddies. Thankfully, you can have some great weaponry at your disposal to take them out, depending on your character class. Whatever gun you have, though, battles are guaranteed to be wild and wonderful.

Escape Academy

Escape Academy is about a school where students learn to become masters at completing escape rooms. Their main form of teaching seems to be through practical assignments, as you and a friend spend the entire game solving escape room-like puzzles.

There's not much more to explain about the game, as the premise is very simple. But the puzzles are not, as there are plenty of head-scratching ones. And there is a lot of variation to them, which helps keep things interesting.

The Escapists 2

Many games include exciting prison break sequences, but Escapists 2 revolves around the concept. Each level tasks you with you figuring out creative ways to escape your confinement and then pull it off.

It's not all done on a whim, though, as careful planning is often required, as you need to right gear and opportunity to leave the prison. The benefit of the second game is that it has co-op, meaning you can make these daring escapes with a buddy or three. If you do, you will have to utilize teamwork to make sure things go smoothly.

Lego Marvel Super Heroes

By this point, the Lego series has mastered the art of cooperative play, and that's proven in Lego Marvel Super Heroes. The game contains all of the most famous characters in the Marvel Universe. And the heroes all team together in an attempt to stop villains like Loki and Galactus from conquering Earth.

It plays mostly like the standard Lego game, as you go through each level defeating enemies and solving puzzles. However, the superheroes obviously get to use their signature powers, too. So, Spider-Man gets to swing, and Mr. Fantastic can use his stretching abilities. There is also a cool free-roam element to the game that allows you to explore the Lego version of New York.

Call Of Duty: Black Ops 3

The Call Of Duty series has had an inconsistent relationship with split-screen co-op, as the feature only makes it into some entries.

Black Ops 3 offers one of the best co-op experiences in the series because you can play the entire campaign with a buddy. It features a futuristic story, which might not be the most original tale ever told, but it moves along nicely. On top of the campaign, the game's exciting zombie mode is also playable with a friend. So, the title offers plenty of co-op-based content.

Human: Fall Flat

In this puzzle platforming game, you play as a supposed human, and the objective of every level is to reach the exit. The game is very hands-off, as it gives you complete freedom to experiment and figure out what to do.

So, the main obstacles are your own brain and the game's intentionally wacky physics. For each level, you can bring a friend along for the ride in local split-screen co-op. You can have more teammates if you opt for online play.

Resident Evil: Revelations 2

A few Resident Evil games contain split-screen co-op play, but Revelations 2 differs from the rest because it's asymmetric. Claire controls like the typical RE protagonist, as she has a range of guns to kill any monster in her path. Her partner, Moira, doesn't use guns. She can attack with a crowbar, but her main role is to use a flashlight to find things.

The other team of protagonists functions in a similar way, as Barry is there to shoot people while Natalia finds things. Therefore, working together is important for progressing and surviving in this episodic horror game.

Divinity: Original Sin 2 - Definitive Edition

The RPG genre isn't known for its split-screen co-op experiences. Therefore, Divinity Original Sin 2 immediately stands out for being unique. Its greatness doesn't just come from its originality, though. The title also provides a wonderful story about a large threat that the protagonists must stop.

During the tale, you and your co-op partner make plenty of important decisions that impact the trajectory of the story. As for the combat, it uses a turn-based system that often forces you to be tactical to survive.

Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

Not many video games can manage to condense nine movies' worth of storytelling into one sprawling adventure, but that is precisely what Traveller's Tales has accomplished with their latest Lego Star Wars game.

The game not only sports a shiny new look made possible by the use of a bespoke engine, but it also boasts some of the funniest gags seen in a Lego game. Then there is its vast roster of Star Wars characters like Master Yoda or Obi-Wan Kenobi that you can play across the entire adventure. And the fact that you can do so with somebody else through drop-in and drop-out split-screen co-op is just icing on an already delicious cake.

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Tiny Tina's Wonderlands

The Borderlands games have always placed a heavy emphasis on co-op, so it shouldn't really come as a surprise that the same is true of the latest spin-off title.

In Tiny Tina's Wonderlands, up to four players can play together co-operatively, which is how you'd want to tackle the game given its Dungeons & Dragons-inspired story and gameplay. The co-op action is limited to just two players on the PS4 version though, so worth keeping in mind if you're planning a four-player LAN party.

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Plants Vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2

What started out as a riff on the popular first-person shooters of the day quickly grew to become a veritable competitive shooter in its own right with Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare 2.

The development team at PopCap Games basically took all the feedback from the first Garden Warfare and used it as a basis to craft a sequel that improved on the original in nearly every way. The result is a game that lived up to its title by providing countless hours of lighthearted mayhem while remaining fun to play.

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Resident Evil 5

Say what you will about Chris Redfield and his boulder-punching antics, but Resident Evil 5 is actually a pretty decent game that builds upon much of what fans loved about Resident Evil 4.

The game might have veered away from its survival horror roots, but that doesn't make it any less intense to play. Arguably the best aspect of the entire thing is the option to play through it in split-screen mode with someone else. This lends some of its already tense scenarios an even greater sense of urgency as you both try to keep each other alive as you face wave after wave of enemies.

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It Takes Two

Released in March 2021, It Takes Two is an action-adventure game developed by Hazelight Studios. The game was designed to be a split-screen cooperative multiplayer, and as such, it does not have a single-player mode.

The game traces the adventures of Cody and May, a married couple on the verge of getting a divorce. The two are forced to work together after they are trapped inside the bodies of two dolls owned by their daughter, a development that would cause them to reexamine their relationship.

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EA Sports FC 24

EA Sports FC 24 is the ultimate simulation of football (aka soccer). It's technically not a split-screen game. Yet, the title is built for local multiplayer. When you're on the same side, teamwork is key, as you won't be successful if you never pass the ball. You have to work with your friends to both score and defend.

If that sounds tiring, you can always face off against your buddies instead in various modes. So, the title offers enjoyable cooperative, and competitive experiences.

Sonic Mania

Sonic Mania is a fun game with retro graphics that should be perfect for anyone who enjoys 2D platformers. You can play as Knuckles, Sonic, or Tails. In the Competition Mode, you'll be able to go head-to-head with your friends and compete to see who can come out on top.

It is considered one of the best Sonic games released as of late, and it includes some classic levels — such as Green Hill — remixed and better than ever. There are also tough bosses to defeat and fun minigames to unlock.

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Terraria

If you enjoy Minecraft and games like it, then you should consider giving Terraria a chance. It is a very popular sandbox game that allows its players to create and build their own imaginative worlds by digging, constructing, and working together to bring your vision to life.

You can explore for resources, hunt down weapons, protect your home from invaders, throw parties, and even change the type of biome you're building inside. There are tons of different events, bosses, and NPCs to keep the game interesting and you can easily sink dozens of hours into Terraria.

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Ark: Survival Evolved

As the name suggests, Ark: Survival Evolved is an intense survival video game set in a prehistoric era that allows both single-player and multiplayer gameplay. It is an open-world game that allows players to try and survive in a deserted landscape with tons of dinosaurs and other dangerous creatures running around.

There are more than 140 different species present in the game. Once you tame animals, you'll even be able to ride on them, and you'll want to collect powerful weapons to keep yourself safe. There are different modes in the game depending on your preferred difficulty.

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Wipeout Omega Collection

Wipeout Omega Collection is a great futuristic racing game where players control anti-gravity ships through a myriad of different modes and tracks. Every ship comes with its own special characteristics and add-ons. You'll be able to customize and earn different updates as you play the game and collect items.

It contains remasters of the original games of the series and will keep you busy as you learn to navigate the tracks and execute hairpin turns. Plus, it has a really cool soundtrack that is sure to get your blood pumping.

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Star Wars Battlefront 2

Star Wars Battlefront 2 provides a split-screen option for you and your friend to team up in the arcade mode. You can choose to fight one another or take on enemies as a single unit.

The game allows you to blast stormtroopers as you pick from a variety of characters and defeat the multitude of coming waves. You won't be able to play online in split-screen mode, but neither of you will mind because both of you will find enjoyment in exploring everything the arcade mode has to offer.

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Gran Turismo Sport

Gran Turismo Sport is mostly an online game, but players love the offline arcade as they can play split-screen with their friends. People love racing games and this one doesn't disappoint, as you and your friend can customize your cars and race each other as you try and beat the clock.

This game would be even better if they set the view to be vertical rather than horizontal. The split-screen mode also doesn't offer any AI to race against, but you and your friend will still have a blast as you both zoom across the finish line.

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Minecraft

Minecraft is a timeless multiplayer split-screen game that the young and old alike love to play. It has two game modes where you can create whatever you want or choose to survive in a dangerous world.

The split-screen feature makes it easier to collaborate with your friend as you create impressive structures, including everything from sunken ships to imaginary castles. The possibilities are literally endless and you won't regret a single second you spend playing this split-screen game with your friends.

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Crash Team Racing

Crash Team Racing is a revamped version of the original from 1999, and now it includes competitive online modes. This game is still split-screen, so you can continue to race your friends in a mix of the original and newly created maps.

You can choose from a variety of characters including Crash and Nitros Oxide. You and your friend will be transported back in time as you experience modern-day Crash Team Racing.

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Borderlands: The Handsome Collection

Borderlands: The Handsome Collection is a split-screen multiplayer series of games for any pair of friends who love to defeat hordes of monsters. You can work in tandem as you find and use all sorts of wild weaponry against the various rogues living on the dangerous world of Pandora.

The monsters will continue to grow harder and harder as the game progresses, but as you team up together your characters will become unstoppable. Killing monsters will become second nature to you as you both battle your way past the bosses and use your special abilities to ensnare them.

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A Way Out

A Way Out is a really cool co-op split-screen game that actually requires you to play in split-screen with either local multiplayer or online. You and the other player will take on the characters of Leo and Vincent. Your goal will be to execute a prison break.

What makes the game so unique and interesting is that you play consecutively and must work together. That means one player might have to distract someone while the other finds what they're looking for. You'll either sink or swim, but no matter what it will be together.

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Overcooked

Overcooked is a game all ages can enjoy and truly requires a next-level ability to work as a team. You and your partner are talented chefs that must make the orders as they pop up on the screen, but numerous challenges await your feeble characters. These challenges were created to make you fail and only the best teams survive until the next round.

If you manage to defeat the entire game there are add-ons for you to enjoy or even a second version to try. You and your friend might find yourselves unable to get up from the couch after so many hours spent crafting the recipes the game has ordered your characters to make.

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Rocket League

Rocket League is the PS4 split-screen game to end all other games. You each have your own race car and the goal is to score goals on the other team. It combines soccer and racing into a single game and it's enjoyable for friend groups of all tastes and skill levels.

There are competitive modes as well as casual, so you can rank up or just play for fun. The creative friend will have a blast upgrading their vehicle with decals, hats, and colors to make it the sickest car amidst the battle to score.

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