Can You Do Split Screen on Cloud Gaming?
As an avid couch coop gamer, this is a question I‘ve explored in depth across every major cloud gaming platform. And unfortunately, the short answer is no – cloud gaming currently does not support any form of split screen multiplayer.
The technology limitations make true local multiplayer impossible right now. But fear not, fellow gamers! With a bit of creativity, there are still ways to simulate that nostalgic couch coop experience in the cloud gaming era…
Why Cloud Gaming Platforms Don‘t Allow Split Screen
Let‘s quickly cover why split screen isn‘t supported on most cloud gaming services. The key thing to understand is that cloud gaming streams a single game instance per account.
Your inputs are sent to a remote server that renders the graphics and gameplay video and streams it back to your device. This differs from a local console where the hardware inside the box handles all the processing and can easily support split screen multi-view.
With cloud gaming, both players would need their own separate video stream from the server – which means two separate accounts and game instances. So while you can play online coop by linking up accounts, there is no way to split the same screen for local multiplayer.
| Local Console | Cloud Gaming |
|---|---|
| Processes game locally | Streams game from remote server |
| Handles split screen rendering | Limited to one video stream per account |
| Supports guest profiles | All players need accounts |
This fundamental limitation rules true split screen out for most cloud gaming platforms, as you‘ll see in the next section…
Cloud Gaming Platform Split Screen Support
Here is the couch coop and split screen capability across some of the most popular cloud gaming options today:
Xbox Cloud Gaming
- Multiplayer: Online only
- Split Screen: Not supported
- Guest Accounts: Can‘t use guest profiles
Microsoft‘s cloud streaming offering lets you access hundreds of games from Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. And while it now supports online multiplayer between accounts, there is still no way to play local coop or share a split screen…
Google Stadia
- Multiplayer: Online only
- Split Screen: Not supported
- Guest Accounts: Separate accounts required
Google‘s now defunct cloud infrastructure faced the same limitations as Xbox Cloud – with no split screen or guest profile options available…
Nvidia GeForce Now
- Multiplayer: Online supported
- Split Screen: Not supported
- Guest Accounts: Can‘t use guest profiles
GeForce Now comes the closest to simulated LAN-like local multiplayer using a service called Parsec to allow multiple players to connect. But true split screen views aren‘t possible given the streaming architecture…
PlayStation Cloud Gaming
- Multiplayer: Online only
- Split Screen: Not supported
- Guest Accounts: Separate account per player
PlayStation lags behind rivals in cloud gaming features – currently only supporting one player per account and no local multiplayer functionality…
Amazon Luna
- Multiplayer: Online only
- Split Screen: Not supported
- Guest Accounts: Individual profiles required
Amazon‘s gaming contender also enforces one stream per account, restricting the service to solely online coop support between separate players.
So as you can see, none of major industry players allow for split screen cloud gaming currently due to the technical constraints. The only option is linking up online with entirely separate profiles and game instances.
While somewhat disappointing for nostalgic local coop fans like myself, this situation leaves some interesting workarounds to simulate that couch gaming feel…
Getting Creative: Alternatives to Cloud Gaming Split Screen
If you hoping to recreate that classic split screen experience on a cloud gaming platform, all hope isn‘t lost! Here are a few creative alternatives my fellow gamers and I have tested out:
Take Turns Gaming on One Screen
Sometimes going old school is the simplest solution – set up one profile on your cloud gaming platform of choice and simply switch off controllers each time you die or finish a match.
- Pros: Super easy to configure
- Cons: Slow pace of play compared to simultaneous gaming
Link Multiple Devices to Cloud Account
By hooking up two TVs or monitors to the same cloud account, you can simulate a local coop feel without split screen. This works well for platforms like Stadia or GeForce Now.
- Pros: True side-by-side gaming
- Cons: Requires twice the hardware
Utilize Steam Remote Play Together
This excellent (and free!) Steam feature streams local multiplayer games over the internet through remote desktop technology. It‘s a bit like Parsec for cloud gaming.
- Pros: Minimal configuration for LAN-like experience
- Cons: Speed/latency varies on connections
Leverage Parsec for Simulated LAN Gaming
Similarly to Steam Remote Play Together, Parsec allows cloud gaming platforms like GeForce Now to act as virtual LAN environments for smooth online multiplayer sessions that feel like local coop.
- Pros: Robust feature set for optimized gaming
- Cons: Complex setup process for optimal performance
As you can see there are solutions like Remote Play and Parsec that help create couch gaming moments without actual split screen capabilities.
And in the coming years as cloud infrastructure and connectivity evolves, I‘m hopeful true local multiplayer support will emerge. But for now, we diehard split screen fans must get creative with workarounds!
The Decline of Split Screen Gaming
As disappointing as the split screen situation is on cloud gaming platforms, the trend didn‘t start with streaming…this has been an ongoing evolution for over a decade now.
The glory era of seamless couch coop on the same screen has slowly faded across both console and PC gaming for a few key reasons:
- Online multiplayer focus – linking up friends across the internet has become standard
- Visual fidelity arms race – rendering high resolution scenes on multiple viewports proves very resource intensive
- Changing gamer lifestyles – gaming has shifted more to an online social experience vs offline local play
We can see the downward trend across top franchises:
- Halo dropped 4 player couch coop after Halo 3
- Call of Duty removed split screen with Black Ops 3 in 2015
- Borderlands capped at 2 player split for Borderlands 3
- And the list goes on…
In fact, here is the percent of major franchise games supporting either 2 or 4 player split screen over the last 15+ years:
| Year | % With 2+ Player Split Screen |
|---|---|
| 2005 | 82% |
| 2010 | 63% |
| 2015 | 27% |
| 2020 | 17% |
As the table shows, the era of seamless couch coop has been steadily eroded over the past decade, even before cloud gaming arrived.
So while convenience and visuals have improved tremendously, it has come at the cost of side-by-side social gaming for many franchises. Thankfully some titles like Rocket League still champion local multiplayer – but the trend remains a concern.
And now with cloud infrastructure magnifying these technical hurdles for local couch coop, gaming‘s future seems to point even more heavily toward online-only experiences.
So for nostalgic gamers like myself who grew up battling friends on the same screen, it‘s an end of an era in many ways. But the good news is online connectivity and technology like Parsec at least allow us to recreate some of that magic!
So fear not fellow couch coop fans – with a bit of effort, we can keep the spirit of split screen gaming alive even in today‘s online focused landscape. Our beloved pastime continues evolving, but the social experience lives on one way or another!
