Best Split-Screen Games On The Xbox Series X

Split-screen gaming, whether it be competitive multiplayer or couch co-op, has been on a downward trend since the seventh generation of home consoles was introduced and popularized online gaming. In the years that have followed, the rise in online multiplayer has continued to step on the split-screen gaming scene, to the point where many multiplayer games now ignore local gaming entirely.

Thankfully, the Xbox Series X has a generous offering in terms of backward compatibility, which, in turn, allows players to revisit some of the classic split-screen games from the original Xbox and Xbox 360 days. Furthermore, a few modern releases managed to recapture the magic of old-school local multiplayer.

Updated July 28, 2024, by Mark Sammut: While support for this multiplayer feature is far from guaranteed nowadays, even for local co-op games, there are enough Xbox Series X split-screen games to keep a few friends busy for a long time.

14 Hot Wheels Unleashed 2

Number Of Players: 1-2

Racing games are generally solid picks for split-screen, particularly ones that fall under the kart racer subgenre. Hot Wheels Unleashed 2 builds nicely on its predecessor's foundation, offering tight and accessible gameplay along with gorgeous visuals that compare favorably to most other projects on the market.

Along with a decent single-player campaign, the game (naturally) has its multiplayer options covered, supporting both online and local. Split-screen allows two players to engage in competitive races against each other and AI opponents (depending on what types of tracks players race on), and the feature plays pretty well for the most part. This split-screen Xbox Series game is mostly just for casual fun rather than anything more extensive, but it is a decent option to throw on when two people have an hour to kill.

13 Human: Fall Flat

Number Of Players: 1-2

Players looking for a split-screen title that will make them laugh out loud every step of the way should definitely check out Human: Fall Flat. This physics-based puzzle game puts players in the role of a wobbly, bumbling character who must navigate through a series of surreal and challenging levels. Its gameplay mechanics are simple yet engaging, with its visuals being detailed enough to convey what players need to do if they wish to get through the numerous levels in the game.

The game is a delight to play in split-screen mode, and players will love working together with friends to solve puzzles and overcome obstacles. Suffice it to say, co-op is a great way to experience the unique and hilarious gameplay of Human: Fall Flat, making it an unmissable experience for fans of this style of game.

12 It Takes Two

Number Of Players: 2

It Takes Two is perhaps one of the greatest cooperative experiences of recent times. The micro-sized toy-like adventure sees two players (or one) take on the role of two parents-turned-playthings in an epic quest through a home that looks and feels like a fantasy world thanks to the Honey, I Shrunk The Kids!-style influences. At its core, It Takes Two is a beautiful adventure that features some incredible visuals. Past that, it's a fantastic cooperative experience in which players must actually work together if they want to proceed through the game.

Regardless of whether they're playing locally, or online, players will always maintain a split-screen view, so that they can keep an eye on one another more easily throughout their quest. It Takes Two is an innovative release that tells a fantastic character-driven story that revolves entirely around co-op.

11 Tiny Tina's Wonderlands

Number Of Players: 1-4

For those who are looking for a more exciting experience, Tiny Tina's Wonderlands offers up some great couch-coop. Although it's not a Borderlands title by name, it players very much like the Looter-Shooter that everyone has come to know and love over the years.

Tiny Tina's Wonderlands takes the Borderlands formula and upgrades it by turning it into a fantasy-styled adventure, complete with quests, D&D references, and a ton of interesting guns, magical spells, and abilities for players to find, unlock, and use. Those who are craving a first-person shooter but also want to enjoy some couch cooperation can snag Tiny Tina's Wonderlands.

10 Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled

Number Of Players: 1-4

Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled

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Racing

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Released

June 21, 2019

Developer(s)

Beenox

Split Screen Orientation

Vertical or Horizontal

Genre(s)

Racing

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Following the success of Crash Bandicoot N.Sane Trilogy and Spyro Reignited Trilogy, Activision decided to bring back another PlayStation 1 classic with a remake of Crash Team Racing. The game provided PlayStation gamers with the perfect replacement for Mario Kart 64 back in 1999, and it accomplishes the same task today.

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Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled offers PlayStation and Xbox gamers a viable and equally enjoyable alternative to Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. It has everything that makes a kart racer great, from the wide selection of characters to game-changing power-ups and well-designed maps.

9 Call of Duty: Black Ops 3

Number Of Players: 1-4

Most of the Call of Duty games playable on the Xbox Series X/S support co-op in some form or another; however, their implementation has not always been great. Vanguard and WW2 are fine enough options in this area, but Cold War and Modern Warfare 2's split-screen are quite divisive and restrictive. That's not to say a group of friends cannot get some mileage out of these titles, but they might find themselves disappointed with the offerings.

Despite being fairly old by this point, Black Ops 3 still provides one of the franchise's better split-screen co-op experiences, particularly if someone plans to primarily focus on the zombies mode. The latter allows up to four players to join locally, and the game has a solid selection of maps that can easily keep a party entertained for hours on end. The main campaign can also be played in two-player couch co-op, although that number increases to four when played online.

8 Rocket League

Number Of Players: 1-4

The concept of Rocket League seemed like it would be the type of thing that sounds amazing on paper but is impossible to execute in a way that's enjoyable. However, Psyonix was able to create a well-balanced, deceivingly complex game that has become a leading force in the multiplayer market and world of Esports.

Rocket League masters the art of providing a game that is easy and enjoyable for casual gamers to pick up and play, but intricate enough for hardcore gamers to get their teeth into. Better still, it's now free to play on Xbox, having previously been reserved exclusively for Game Pass subscribers. With regular content updates, it's definitely worth checking out.

7 The LEGO Games

Number Of Players: 1-4

The LEGO games have been a shining light in a dark time for couch co-op. Moreover, the games have likely been fundamental in the slow but steady return of the pursuit, with Unravel Two, Overcooked 2 and It Takes Two all being examples of excellent recently released couch co-op games.

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LEGO games have found a winning formula in grabbing the attention of gamers by incorporating hugely successful franchises such as Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and Harry Potter while ensuring that players stay engrossed with the simple yet thoroughly enjoyable collectathon and puzzle gameplay.

6 Divinity: Original Sin 2

Number Of Players: 1-2

The RPG genre has always been a significant part of gaming's multiplayer market, so it would be unfair not to include one of the genre's many great games in conversations about split-screen gaming. There is a lot to choose from, but Divinity: Original Sin 2 manages to stand out from the crowd for a number of reasons.

Larian Studios' fantastic role-playing game was first released on PC in 2017 before coming to Xbox One and PlayStation 4 the following year. Garnering universal praise for its modernization of CRPG staples and its ambitious storytelling, Divinity: Original Sin 2 is a dense, challenging, and addictive game that supports co-op play.

5 Baldur's Gate 3 (Only For Xbox Series X)

Number Of Players: 1-2

One of the best games of 2023, Baldur's Gate 3 notoriously took a long time to make its way to the Xbox Series, reportedly due to the split-screen option not working well on the S version. While Larian eventually released the RPG on Microsoft's platforms, local co-op had to be disabled on the Xbox Series S, and that is still the case months after its debut. At this point, an update that changes that seems unlikely, so players craving split-screen should only pick BG3 up if they have an Xbox Series X.

Moving past that issue, Larian crafted a deep, engrossing, and challenging RPG that makes great use of Dungeons & Dragons' ruleset. Deep customization, tactical and deep combat, great storytelling, and player choice are just a few things BG3 does extremely well. At launch, the split-screen function was a bit more limited than Divinity: Original Sin 2 due to keeping screens 100% divided at all times; however, Patch 7 should be adding dynamic merging, which will cancel splits when characters are close to each other.