Can You Play Split Screen in Need for Speed Payback?

Let‘s not beat around the bush – the answer is no. There is zero split screen or same-screen multiplayer in Payback, period. This applies to all platforms whether you game on PS4, Xbox One or PC.

As a long-time Need for Speed fan, I‘ve mourned the loss of local co-op and couch play in recent franchise entries. Payback had some new ideas but failed to deliver this core feature myself and many others grew up enjoying.

The Rise and Fall of Split Screen NFS Games

Split screen and LAN multiplayer was a staple in Need for Speed‘s early days. Classics like Hot Pursuit 2, Underground and Most Wanted all offered local racing with friends. Those nights battling buddies in Underground 2 capture why I fell in love with this franchise.

But things took a gradual turn with 2009‘s Shift and new titles began shedding legacy features to push graphical limits. Here‘s a quick history:

As you can see, today‘s Need for Speed games completely abandoned split screen beginning with the 2015 reboot.

Why the about face from a series that once placed local multiplayer front and center? In an interview, Ghost Games creative director Riley Cooper argued new titles were "…focused on delivering an immersive single player experience."

While multiplayer remained, it shifted fully online. For Ghost Games, crafting a cinematic narrative meant no distractions like having your friend‘s car in the passenger seat.

On the Technical Side: Hardware Constraints

Rendering smooth, uninterrupted gameplay with split view introduces a massive performance hit. Games must draw twice as many visual assets while maintaining fluid frame rates. That‘s no easy feat on limited console hardware.

According to hardware experts, split screen can reduce frame rates by 50% or more depending on the game‘s visual complexity. Need for Speed Payback already targeted 30 FPS on base PS4 and Xbox One hardware. Cutting that in half would create a jerky, unplayable mess.

PC gamers boast more graphics muscle, but similarly take an FPS hit. Compared to racing greats like Forza Horizon, Need for Speed chose narrower technical scope to double down on eye candy. Gorgeous sun-drenched vistas came at the cost of local play.

Community Response: Where‘s Our Split Screen?

Need for Speed subreddit threads reveal avid fans anguished over losing split capabilities in current entries. With over 17,000 upvotes, one viral post asked "What happened to split screen play?"

Hundreds of comments mourned local multiplayer‘s removal. Fans longed for days when you could smash into your younger sibling‘s car while Mom yelled downstairs.

Others remained hopeful it may return someday. But so far, entries like Payback and Heat show little evidence of reviving couch play. Developer Criterion offers a fresh start for the series and rumors suggest they may revisit features like split screen.

Split Screen Racing Alternatives

For now, Need for Speed faithful still have solid options to get that local multiplayer fix:

Consider trying the excellent Forza Horizon series for open-world racing thrills in local co-op. Or Rocket League for sheer fun factor with car soccer battles.

The bottom line? Need for Speed Payback offered some new ideas but sadly abandoned a core tenet that made earlier franchise entries special – split screen multiplayer.

Let‘s hope as technology moves forward, developers find ways to bring back this beloved legacy feature. Because few things beat racing battles side-by-side with friends until the wee morning hours.