Guide

Split screen and couch co-op on PS5

The PlayStation Store gives every game a player count, such as "1 - 2 players", and no field for the screen. A game listed for 2 players might split the TV in two, keep both players on one shared screen, or count an online partner. So this guide sorts the PS5 games we have checked by how much the official pages actually say.

Four of the games are PS4 releases. They are here because each of their store pages carries Sony's line that the game is playable on PS5, with the warning that some PS4 features may be absent.

Store pages read 1 Nov 2026.

Split screen, named on the page

Four games where the publisher's own description names split screen. For two of them the words sit on the PS Store page itself (Split Fiction, Minecraft); for It Takes Two they appear in EA's description on other stores, and for Borderlands 4 most clearly on the Xbox listing.

  • Split FictionYes

    The first pick for two adults. EA calls it "a split-screen adventure tailored for two", and the PS Store lists 2 players. It never goes above two, on the couch or online.

    You need: One copy and two controllers. Online, the second player can use the free Friend's Pass, with crossplay to Xbox, Switch 2 and PC.

  • It Takes TwoYes

    Same studio and the same two-player format, four years older. EA's store description on Steam, Xbox and Switch 2 reads "couch or online co-op with split-screen play"; the PS Store page leaves the word out and just lists 2 players. Going offline is fine: EA's FAQ answers that a couch session does not need an internet connection.

    You need: One copy and two controllers. Friend's Pass covers a second player online; both need PS Plus for that.

  • MinecraftYes

    The only game here that takes four on one PS5 and says split screen: the store lists 1 to 4 players and the description talks about "sitting on the same couch in split screen". One catch from the same page: split screen does not work with the Vibrant Visuals mode, and the game drops to Fancy or Simple rendering when players join locally.

    You need: One copy, one controller per player. Online goes to 8 players with PS Plus.

  • Borderlands 4Yes

    The pick for a shooter. Gearbox's own description, which the Xbox Store shows and the PS Store page also carries in its text, promises "2-player splitscreen or up to 4-player online co-op"; the PS5 player field reads 1 to 2 players, 4 online. On Steam there is no split screen and no local co-op, so this is a console-only couch game.

    You need: One copy for two on one PS5. Online play needs PS Plus, and crossplay needs a SHiFT account.

Couch co-op on one PS5, screen not stated

These list two or more players on one console, but neither the PS Store nor the publisher pages we read say whether the TV is split or shared. All of them can be played by two or more people on one PS5; what the store will not tell you is whether each player gets their own half of the screen.

Steam and Xbox labels do not settle it either: both stores use one label, "Shared/Split Screen", for the two cases.

  • Overcooked! All You Can EatCouch co-op

    The store lists 4 players on one console and up to 4 online with PS Plus, so a group of four can split into a couch pair plus two friends online.

    You need: One copy, a controller per cook. The PS5 listing also notes the DualSense vibration function is required.

  • Moving Out 2Couch co-op

    4 players on one PS5 and 4 online; the store text names both local co-op and cross-play.

    You need: One copy, a controller per mover. PS Plus only for the online part.

  • LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker SagaCouch co-op

    2 players on one PS5 and no online player count on the listing, so it is a couch game or a solo one.

    You need: One copy, two controllers. No subscription.

  • Diablo IVCouch co-op

    2 players on one console, but the listing says "Online play required": the PS5 needs an internet connection even when both players sit on the same sofa. Online groups go up to 4 with PS Plus.

    You need: One copy for the couch pair, plus a connection.

  • Stardew Valley PS4Couch co-op

    1 to 4 players and 4 online on the PS4 listing. Nintendo's eShop text for the Switch version names split-screen co-op for up to four; the PS4 page does not say it.

    You need: One copy; PS Plus only for online farms.

  • Rocket League PS4Couch co-op

    1 to 4 players on one console and 8 online on the PS4 listing. The Steam page names splitscreen play for PC; the PS4 page does not.

    You need: One copy, a controller per player.

  • Cuphead PS4Couch co-op

    1 to 2 players and no online mode. The studio's own site describes it as single player or local co-op.

    You need: One copy, two controllers.

  • Unravel Two PS4Couch co-op

    1 to 2 players and no online mode on the PS4 listing; the description talks about local co-op.

    You need: One copy, two controllers.

Side by side

PS5 rows from the PlayStation Store; PS4 rows from the PS4 listing. "Split, named" means the store or publisher text uses the words.
GameOne consoleOnlineScreen
Split Fiction1 to 21 to 2Split, named
It Takes Two1 to 21 to 2Split, named
Minecraft1 to 41 to 8Split, named
Borderlands 41 to 21 to 4Split, named
Overcooked! All You Can Eat1 to 41 to 4Not stated
Moving Out 21 to 41 to 4Not stated
LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga1 to 2NoNot stated
Diablo IV1 to 21 to 4Not stated
Stardew Valley (PS4)1 to 41 to 4Not stated
Rocket League (PS4)1 to 41 to 8Not stated
Cuphead (PS4)1 to 2NoNot stated
Unravel Two (PS4)1 to 2NoNot stated

Not on this list: PEAK

PEAK came to PS5 on 22 October 2026 as a co-op game for four, which makes a split screen easy to assume. Sony's listing counts one player per console and puts the four-player figure under online play with PS Plus, so every climber needs their own console or PC. The full PEAK answer covers crossplay room codes and what a second copy costs.

Source: PlayStation Store: PEAK (PS5), read 1 Nov 2026.

Setting up a second player on a PS5

Sony's support pages cover the parts that trip people up the first time.

  1. Pair the second DualSense once: connect it to the PS5 with the USB cable and press the PS button. When the light bar blinks, the player indicator lights up and the cable can come out.
  2. A controller pairs with one PS5 at a time. Bringing a controller from a friend's console means pairing it again on yours.
  3. A PS5 takes up to 4 controllers at once, and each gets its own colour when its PS button is pressed. For the four-player games above, that is the ceiling.
  4. PS Plus sits next to the online player count on these listings ("PS Plus required for online play"), not next to the local one. Diablo IV is the odd one out because it asks for a connection even on the couch.

Sources: PlayStation Support: DualSense accessories, read 1 Nov 2026; PlayStation Store: Diablo IV, read 1 Nov 2026.

When the second player is in another house

Share Play lets a friend on another PS5 join a couch co-op game you own. Sony's limits: one visitor at a time, sessions end one hour after the visitor joins, and in the "Play with the visitor" mode both of you need PS Plus. If the visitor is not a PS Plus member, that mode cannot be picked. Only the host earns trophies.

For the two EA games above, Friend's Pass is the simpler route: the friend downloads it for free and joins online from the main menu, and EA's FAQ lists no time limit for it.

Sources: PlayStation Support: Share Play on PS5, read 1 Nov 2026; EA: It Takes Two FAQ, read 1 Nov 2026.

Questions people search for

Which PS5 games have 4-player split screen?

Of the games we have checked, Minecraft is the one whose PS5 page lists 4 players and says split screen. Overcooked! All You Can Eat and Moving Out 2 also take 4 players on one PS5, but their pages do not say the screen splits.

Do you need PS Plus for co-op on one PS5?

The listings here tie PS Plus to online play only. Two people on one console with one copy do not appear in those lines. Diablo IV is the exception to watch: it needs an internet connection even for couch play.

Is Borderlands 4 couch co-op on PS5?

Yes, for two. Gearbox's description, shown on the Xbox Store and in the PS Store page text, says "2-player splitscreen or up to 4-player online co-op", and the PS5 player field lists 1 to 2. The Steam version has no split screen.

Can two people play It Takes Two or Split Fiction on one PS5 with one copy?

Yes. Both list 2 players on one console, and one copy covers the pair on the couch. Online, the second player can join through the free Friend's Pass.

Is PEAK split screen on PS5?

No. Sony's page counts one player per PS5; a group of four only exists online. See the PEAK page for crossplay and costs.

Sources