The Xbox Series X introduces a new generation of couch cooperative titles that provide fun for the whole family. Although most game developers tend to focus more on improving online multiplayer than local multiplayer, there are a few gems that make having a second controller handy.
This article highlights some of the best split-screen Xbox Series X games you can grab today. Although most of these titles are from the previous generation, they are optimized for the console’s new hardware through smart delivery to give you enhanced graphics, better frame rates, and faster loading times.
Contents of this Page
| Preview | Product | Genre | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Halo: The Master Chief Collection | Action/Adventure | |
 | It Takes Two | Action/Adventure | |
 | Gears 5 | Shooter | |
 | Borderlands 3 | Shooter | |
 | A Way Out | Action/Adventure | |
 | DIRT 5 | Racing | |
 | ARK: Survival Evolved | Action/Adventure | |
 | Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War | Shooter | |
 | Can’t Drive This | Action/Adventure | |
 | Totally Reliable Delivery Service | Action/Adventure | |
 | Divinity: Original Sin 2 Definitive Edition | RPG | |
 | LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 | Action/Adventure | |
 | Star Wars Battlefront II | Shooter | |
 | Screencheat | Action/Adventure |
Halo: The Master Chief Collection
| Genre | Action/Adventure |
| Developer | 343 Industries |
| Publisher | Microsoft Studios |
| Release Date | November 14, 2019 |
| ESRB Rating | Mature (17+) |
Halo: The Master Chief Collection is a compilation of six games bundled together to honor the iconic hero and his epic journey.
It includes remastered versions of Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Halo 2: Anniversary, Halo 3, and Halo 4, Halo: Reach, and Halo 3: ODST integrated into one expansive experience.
The Master Chief Collection has an endless array of multiplayer missions for you and your friends to enjoy in split-screen mode.
It also features extended cut scenes and hidden terminal videos as a treat to long-time fans of the franchise.
It Takes Two
| Genre | Action/Adventure |
| Developer | Hazelight |
| Publisher | Electronic Arts |
| Release Date | March 26, 2021 |
| ESRB Rating | Teen (13+) |
It Takes Two is a genre-bending platform adventure title designed purely for local and online multiplayer.
Invite a friend over and embark on a whimsical journey that revolves around an estranged couple magically turned into dolls. You must work together as you encounter gleefully disruptive challenges in a fantastical and unpredictable world.
In It Takes Two, every level presents a new obstacle that requires you to master unique and connected character abilities to progress in the game.
These challenges range from defeating gangster squirrels to piloting a pair of underwear. The narrative and gameplay are beautifully interwoven to create a touching and heartfelt story of reconciliation.
Gears 5
| Genre | Shooter |
| Developer | The Coalition |
| Publisher | Xbox Game Studios |
| Release Date | September 10, 2019 |
| ESRB Rating | Mature (17+) |
Gears 5 is one of the most acclaimed third-person shooters available on the Xbox Series X. It features a refreshed multiplayer that lets you and your friends play a three-player split-screen campaign.
Gears 5 takes place several months after the events of Gears of War 4. It is centered around Kait Diaz, an Outsider and a descendant of the Locust Horde Queen.
Kait probes into her family history only to make an unsettling discovery.
This game guarantees fun, tense, and action-packed moments to enjoy with your friends in local or online multiplayer!
Borderlands 3
| Genre | Shooter |
| Developer | Gearbox Software |
| Publisher | 2K |
| Release Date | September 13, 2019 |
| ESRB Rating | Mature (17+) |
Borderlands 3 is the fourth installment of the shooter-looter franchise, returning with another mayhem-fueled adventure for you and your friends!
It introduces four new vault hunters equipped with unique playstyles and abilities.
Borderlands 3 features an expanded split-screen local multiplayer that can support up to four players. Invite friends over and take on enemies, score loot, and save your home from a ruthless intergalactic cult.
This game offers an endless supply of guns and gadgets, making every fight an opportunity to find new gear. Some of the most absurd weapons you can find include rifles that spawn volcanoes and guns that grow legs and chase down enemies. You can also explore the various planets and discover new environments and lifeforms.
A Way Out
| Genre | Action/Adventure |
| Developer | Hazelight |
| Publisher | Electronic Arts |
| Release Date | March 23, 2018 |
| ESRB Rating | Mature (17+) |
A Way Out is a multiplayer action-adventure game from the developers behind It Takes Two and Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons.
It casts you and your friend as prisoners devising and executing an elaborate escape plan. However, more danger awaits on the other side of the wall. You must take part in epic shootouts as you evade authorities and chase after salvation.
Most of the scenes in A Way Out are shot on split-screen if you play in local multiplayer.
The unique mechanics of this game compel you to strategize and communicate to make progress.
DIRT 5
| Genre | Racing |
| Developer | Codemasters |
| Publisher | Codemasters |
| Release Date | November 6, 2020 |
| ESRB Rating | Everyone |
DIRT 5 is an off-road arcade racing game that features hundreds of routes across ten locations worldwide.
Take on your friends on the stunning tracks of cities like New York, Rio de Janeiro, and Cape Town!
DIRT 5 lets you conquer the most challenging terrains with a diverse set of vehicles, including rally cars, sprint cars, muscle cars, buggies, grand tourers, and trophy trucks. Put together the ultimate off-road racing garage and crush your opponent in online or split-screen multiplayer!
This game has a comprehensive career mode that puts you under the tutelage of an iconic rally driver as you move up the ranks. Earn sponsorships and rewards throughout your career as you get involved in fierce rivalries.
You can even bring your friends along for the journey since this mode can support up to four players on split-screen!
ARK: Survival Evolved
| Genre | Action/Adventure |
| Developer | Studio Wildcard |
| Publisher | Studio Wildcard |
| Release Date | August 29, 2017 |
| ESRB Rating | Teen (13+) |
ARK: Survival Evolved is a survival game set on a mysterious island full of prehistoric creatures and natural hazards. Hunt animals, gather resources, craft items, grow crops, and build a shelter to endure the harsh environment. You can also team up with a friend in split-screen multiplayer and help each other survive!
Survival Evolved features an extensive map that makes every session a unique experience. You can play in either first-person or third-person view. Use scattered resources like stone and wood to create weapons for hunting.
You must keep track of your status meters like thirst, hunger, body temperature, and stamina to keep your character alive and healthy. Every time you level up, you can spend points on skills and talents to improve your survivability.
Train animals to become hunters or help you gather resources. Some creatures require specific strategies to catch, so you must be careful.
Survival Evolved also has an online multiplayer mode where you can forge alliances and construct a headquarters. There is so much to explore in this game, making it an excellent option to play with friends online or offline.
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War
| Genre | Shooter |
| Developer | Treyarch |
| Publisher | Activision |
| Release Date | December 16, 2020 |
| ESRB Rating | Mature (17+) |
Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War is the direct sequel to the ever-popular Call of Duty: Black Ops.
This game lets you experience the volatile geopolitical battle that shaped history. You can encounter historical figures in iconic locations like East Berlin, Vietnam, and Turkey.
Black Ops Cold War may be known as one of the most prolific online shooters, but it also has an underrated split-screen functionality.
It has even received patches that let you play zombie mode in local multiplayer. Now you can blasts hoards of the undead with a friend at home!
Can’t Drive This
| Genre | Action/Adventure |
| Developer | Pixel Maniacs |
| Publisher | Pixel Maniacs |
| Release Date | March 19, 2021 |
| ESRB Rating | Everyone |
Can’t Drive This is a clever and compulsive multiplayer puzzle racer that lets you drive a monster truck while your friend builds the road out of random tiles.
You must navigate the chaotic track without missing a beat because going too slow makes your truck go boom!
Can’t Drive This is undoubtedly one of the most inventive driving games of recent years. The puzzle pieces are so unpredictable — one might be a simple slab of asphalt, while the next has a swinging hammer designed to make life difficult for your partner.
Reacting to the pieces as they arrive is the only recipe for success!
Totally Reliable Delivery Service
| Genre | Action/Adventure |
| Developer | We’re Five Games |
| Publisher | tinyBuild |
| Release Date | April 1, 2020 |
| ESRB Rating | Everyone |
Totally Reliable Delivery Service is an interactive sandbox game that lets you and up to three friends cooperatively and haphazardly make a hundred deliveries marked around the map.
It features unpredictable ragdoll physics and snappy platforming that make for some goofy laughs as you fumble your way to your destination. If you hit something, you get knocked out cold instantly!
A successful delivery awards you a trophy, cash, and a cosmetic item that you can equip on your character.
Although Totally Reliable Delivery Service has a single-player mode, it is way more fun to play with a friend or two. The sandbox world is so massive and full of interactive elements that you can take a break from deliveries and play around anytime!
Divinity: Original Sin 2
| Genre | RPG |
| Developer | Larian Studios |
| Publisher | Larian Studios |
| Release Date | August 31, 2018 |
| ESRB Rating | Mature (17+) |
Divinity: Original Sin 2 is one of the best role-playing games to come out in recent years. It has some of the most stunning visuals on the Xbox Series X, especially in high dynamic range.
This game has a two-player local multiplayer mode where the screen splits and rejoins seamlessly based on proximity.
Original Sin 2 lets you choose from over five races and choose from six unique origin characters. In online multiplayer, you can play with up to three other friends and explore every area freely.
This game has an excellent isometric tactical fighting system and an endless array of explosive and sly strategies available for you to employ.
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2
| Genre | Action/Adventure |
| Developer | TT Games |
| Publisher | Warner Bros. Games |
| Release Date | November 14, 2017 |
| ESRB Rating | Everyone (10+) |
LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2 is an action-adventure game set in a time-tossed Chronopolis.
It brings together heroes and villains from different eras and realities to face the time-traveling Kang the Conqueror.
Some of the most notable characters in the game include Spider-Man, Thor, Hulk, Black Panther, Captain Marvel, Doctor Strange, and the Guardians of the Galaxy.
Marvel Super Heroes 2 features a local-only multiplayer mode for up to four players. It lets you and your friends play against each other in a series of themed challenges and battle arenas. This game succeeds in being constantly fun to play, especially in split-screen multiplayer.
Star Wars Battlefront II
| Genre | Shooter |
| Developer | DICE |
| Publisher | Electronic Arts |
| Release Date | 11/17/2017 |
| ESRB Rating | Teen (13+) |
Star Wars Battlefront II is an action shooter that lets you embark on an adventure across the galaxy and become the master of your hero’s journey.
It has a gripping single-player story that spans three decades, but the two-player offline split-screen mode is arguably its best feature. You can team up with a friend from the comfort of your couch and earn rewards that you can use to upgrade and customize your troopers and heroes.
These upgrades can then be used to exploit your enemies in online multiplayer. Battlefront II offers plenty of wave-based online multiplayer battlegrounds across all three eras: prequel, classic, and new trilogy.
Go head-to-head against iconic characters like Kylo Ren, Darth Maul, and Han Solo as you take part in a timeless Star Wars gaming experience!
Screencheat
| Genre | Action/Adventure |
| Developer | Samurai Punk |
| Publisher | Surprise Attack Games |
| Release Date | March 1, 2016 |
| ESRB Rating | Everyone (10+) |
Screencheat may be a dated title, but it remains one of the most fun and inventive split-screen party shooters on the market.
This game is all about small arenas, absurd weapons, and the characters being invisible all the time. Since everyone is invisible, you need to constantly peek at your opponents’ screens to figure out their location.
Screencheat has a wide array of one-hit kill weapons, including a car engine that shoots plasma balls and a stuffed toy full of explosives. It can accommodate up to eight players in local or online multiplayer, resulting in some fast-paced and tense combat.
The five arenas are split into color-coded areas and have interactive elements like shortcuts and jump pads that make them a blast to explore.
Quick Recap: The 14 Best Split-Screen Xbox Series X Games
- Gears 5
- Borderlands 3
- DIRT 5
- ARK: Survival Evolved
- It Takes Two
- Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War
- Halo: The Master Chief Collection
- Can’t Drive This
- Totally Reliable Delivery Service
- A Way Out
- Divinity: Original Sin 2
- LEGO Marvel Super Heroes 2
- Star Wars Battlefront II
- Screencheat
Final Words
That ends our roundup of the best split-screen Xbox Series X games. There’s a game here for everybody, regardless of your preferred genre. You can expect this library to grow as the console ages, and we look forward to reviewing more local multiplayer games.
Which titles are you excited to try with your friends? Let us know in the comments section below!
