Downloadable two player games for ps4

The best split screen PS4 games are a perfect choice for gaming with a friend or family member. While plenty of great PS4 games offer multiplayer components, games that offer split screen functionality in particular are a little bit rarer. There are plenty of good reasons for this, including the fact that split screen multiplayer modes are difficult to program, and their utility is limited in a world that seems to prefer online gaming to couch co-op anyway.

Nevertheless, split screen games offer a special kind of cooperative or competitive experience, as you can go anywhere you want and do anything you want, while letting your partner on the couch do the same thing. It’s all the best parts of a multiplayer experience without the restrictions that often go along with local multiplayer.

There are many genres represented among the best split screen PS4 games. Whether you want to play first-person shooters, racing games, RPGs, action games or even horror games, there should be something here to suit your tastes. Just be sure to pick up an extra controller first.

What are the best split screen PS4 games?

Naturally, the best split screen PS4 games will vary, depending on what exactly you want to play. And remember: When you start up a split screen game, it’s not just about you; your partner’s preferences come into play, too. If you want to blast each other in a competitive shooter and your friend wants to cooperate to solve puzzles and advance a story, you’re not going to find much common ground. As such, your first question should be what kind of game you both want to play — or, at least what kind of game you both wouldn’t mind playing.

Borderlands: The Handsome Collection is a relatively safe bet, particularly since you can play with up to four people. Not many split screen games offer that kind of functionality. But the Borderlands games combine a lot of disparate elements into something that will please almost any kind of gamer. The core of the experience is an FPS, but it’s an FPS that’s dependent on leveling up, improving your skills and finding better equipment over time. There are also lots of quests to complete and areas to explore, meaning that it’s not just about shooting.

A Way Out is one of the more interesting games on the list, in that it’s one of the few asymmetrical titles. You and your partner won’t be controlling the same kind of characters, doing the same kinds of activities. Leo and Vincent, the game’s two protagonists, each have different skills and roles in the story, so playing as each one confers a pretty different experience. You may want to tackle the game twice.

Be aware that the PS5 now here, so there won't be many more split-screen games coming out for PS4. (It doesn't seem like the PS5 will have many split-screen games, either; shared screens for couch co-op are much more common now.) However, you'll be able to play all of these games on a PS5, and even use your DualShock 4 controllers for them.

The best split screen PS4 games you can buy today

1. Ark: Survival Evolved

Ark: Survival Evolved was an early-access game on Steam for a long time, but it finally got a full release on the PC, the Xbox One and, of course, the PS4. The game is all about surviving in a harsh wilderness, crafting tools, clothes, food, shelter and whatever else you may need to thrive in a challenging environment. And in order to get those resources, you’ll need to battle the native wildlife.

Where Ark sets itself apart from the rest of the genre, though, is that its world is populated primarily by enormous dinosaurs. Whereas most survival games pit you against humans or mundane animals, things can get a little more outlandish in Ark. If you want to mount a T-rex and strap laser cannons to the beast, you're more than welcome, and it's even more fun with a friend.

2. Borderlands: The Handsome Collection

In case you've never played it, Borderlands is a series of compulsively playable FPS/RPGs that cast you as a treasure hunter on a harsh planet, full of dangers both human and alien. Borderlands: The Handsome Collection on PS4 collects both Borderlands 2 and Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel, and both of them allow two, three or four players to share a local split screen.

In fact, this is arguably the best way to play the game, since each player can choose a different character class, and co-op partners will make relatively short work of the game's myriad challenges. But even if you only have two players at your disposal, you’ll both enjoy the game’s addictive mix of gunning down foes and gathering new gear. It’s somewhat twitch-based and somewhat strategic, and doesn’t require too much training to pick up.

3. Call of Duty: WWII

While you can't experience the cinematic campaign in Call of Duty: WWII with another player, it’s one of the best split screen PS4 games for every other mode. Whether you want to oppose each other or team up in multiplayer matches, you can do it from a split screen perspective. You can hone your skills against one another, against bots, or against other players online. While it’s a little challenging without the full screen at your disposal, it’s arguably better than playing alone.

Even better: You can collaborate in the game's zombie mode, which lets you and a friend experience a campy, imaginative horror story with the tried-and-true Call of Duty control scheme. If you have fond memories of playing split screen Halo with friends after school, this isn't terribly different; just a little more grounded in s technology.

4. Divinity: Original Sin

Old-school RPGs with couch co-op are pretty rare to begin with, but one with split screen functionality is almost unheard of. Divinity: Original Sin delivers a single-player experience that most other games in the genre would envy, then goes a little further by offering the entire thing in split screen co-op. That’s more than the old-school games could claim.

You and your friend/partner/sibling/person you grabbed off the street will each create a Source Hunter: a powerful warrior who can use both conventional weapons and magic to save the world from evil magicians known as Sourcerers. The turn-based combat manages to be both breezy and strategic, but you'll need to invest a long time to finish this adventure. If you don’t live with your co-op partner, that might be challenging — or it might be a good excuse to spend a few hours together every week.

5. Divinity: Original Sin II

One of the best PS4 RPGs overall is also one of the best split screen PS4 games. The first Divinity: Original Sin had couch co-op; you didn't really think the developers would take that feature away, did you? This RPG sequel — which received even more critical and fan acclaim than the first — casts you once again as a "Sourcerer," who can channel divine magic in order to become better combatants or cast fantastical spells.

This time, the player is in contact with a mysterious entity known as the "Godwoken," who guides him or her on a perilous quest across a broken land. There's adventure, intrigue and friendship — which is appropriate, since you can play the whole thing, start-to-finish, with two players, each of whom has a customized character to control. Since you’re not tethered to each other, you can each complete quests in the way you see fit.