While split-screen co-op was once the default, more and more games now force gamers to play on completely separate systems if they want to play together. That’s not the case with all PS4 games though; some have stayed true to the couch co-op style of gameplay, allowing friends and family to play alongside you on the same console on the same display. The catch? It’s sometimes hard to work out which offer split-screen, and which offer online co-op support. That’s where we at Tech Advisor come in. We’ve spent a lot of time playing PlayStation games over the years, and here’s our selection of the best split-screen co-op PS4 games available to play right now.
Best split-screen co-op PS4 games of 2019
If you’re looking for something cinematic to play through with your friends, then A Way Out is a solid option. Developed by Hazelight Studios, the game follows the journey of two brothers breaking out of prison – did anybody say Shawshank Redemption? In all seriousness, the game offers a thrilling couch co-op experience that changes depending on your actions, choices and how well you work together. The game isn’t too long, and many gamers will complete it in a single try, but it’s certainly more entertaining and more engaging than simply sitting and watching a movie. The open-world dino-adventure Ark: Survival Evolved offers a vibrant, live ecosystem for you to explore – but be careful, there are dinosaurs about. You can craft increasingly advanced weaponry, build up your mud hut into a stone castle and tame the biggest and deadliest dinos found on the island. The best part? You can do all this online amongst other players, adding a real sense of danger when you come across another human in the wilderness. The good news is that Ark offers a split-screen mode perfect for you and a buddy to jump in and explore. The catch? It’s only available in the game’s offline, single-player mode. It offers the same roster of features as the online game, but without any interruption from other players. While that may sound like a bad idea, at least your creations won’t be destroyed by other players while you’re offline! It has happened to us. A lot. Like most of the FIFAs before it, and like the ones yet to come, FIFA 19 offers split-screen co-op support, allowing you to join forces with your friend against other online players. If you want to make it a little more personal, go head-to-head with your buddy and settle the score once and for all. You get access to all the players and clubs – one of the perks of FIFA compared to Pro Evo – allowing you to play as your favourite club. Beyond that, it’s fairly self-explanatory; it’s football with your mate, innit. LEGO DC Super Villains is the latest LEGO-themed titles, and unlike with the likes of Batman and The Avengers, you play as the bad guys this time around. You’ll be taking on the roles of DC classics including The Joker, The Riddler, Scarecrow and more as they battle a group of new superheroes that aren’t as they appear. And, like with other LEGO games in the series, your buddy can pick up a controller and join in the action at any point in the campaign or during open-world exploration. But while previous games in the series merged the split-screen into a large display when near each other, the split-screen layout is persistent in this game. It’s fairly standard, but we certainly preferred the original approach to co-op gameplay as it didn’t limit your view. If you like racing and you like football, you’re going to love Rocket League if you haven’t played it already. The idea of the game is simple; using your car (equipped with a rocket, of course) you have to whack the giant football into the opposing goal, while defending incoming attacks and plotting epic mid-air tricks to get the upper-hand in online and bot matches. While you may already be aware that you can play with, or against, friends online, Rocket League also supports split-screen gaming for up to four players across PS4, Xbox One and PC. This improves the Rocket League dynamic to no end as you’re able to communicate instantly with your teammates and get a decent overview of the whole team’s positioning at any given time. While the first Battlefront was a good attempt at creating a Star Wars-themed first-person shooter, it’s Battlefront 2 that refined the series and provides something fun to play, whether battling it out alone or with a friend via split-screen co-op. You’re able to play a range of offline wave-based modes with your buddy, and while you can’t join in on the main campaign, Battlefront 2 does offer split-screen support for the online multiplayer mode. This means that you can both access the same adrenaline-inducing multiplayer game modes where you’ll be doing anything from sniping Yoda as he hops across the frozen landscape of Hoth to dogfighting in state-of-the-art ships avoiding debris of the Death Star above Endor. What’s not to like? Lewis Painter is a Senior Staff Writer at Tech Advisor. Our resident Apple expert, Lewis covers everything from iPhone to AirPods, plus a range of smartphones, tablets, laptops and gaming hardware. You’ll also find him on the Tech Advisor YouTube channel.
