How to Activate Split Screen on Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 for PC

As a passionate BO3 player myself, one of my favorite features is the ability to play split screen with a buddy on the same PC. While console gamers are used to this, it‘s rare that a PC game allows local co-op play. But with some special steps, you can get side-by-side action in both multiplayer and zombies mode on BO3.

What You Need to Play Split Screen

Let‘s start with the key system requirements, according to Activision‘s support site:

Minimum

• OS: Windows 7 64-Bit / Windows 8 64-Bit / Windows 8.1 64-Bit
• CPU: Intel® CoreTM i3-530 @ 2.93 GHz / AMD PhenomTM II X4 810 @ 2.60 GHz
• RAM: 8 GB
• GPU: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 470 @ 1GB / ATI® RadeonTM HD 6970 @ 1GB
• DirectX 11 compatible

Recommended

• OS: Windows 10 64-Bit
• CPU: Intel® CoreTM i7 4790 @ 3.6 GHz
• RAM: 16 GB
• GPU: NVIDIA® GeForce® GTX 980 / AMD® RadeonTM R9 290X
• DirectX 11 compatible

To compare some popular graphics cards:

Performance data source: pcgamebenchmark.com

So while a GPU like the GTX 1060 or 1660 Ti will work, I‘d recommend at least a 980 if you want a smooth 60 FPS at higher settings in split screen.

And don‘t skimp on the RAM! You‘ll want 16GB to give the game enough overhead to render two viewports simultaneously.

Step-by-Step Guide to Enabling Split Screen

Once you‘ve got a PC that meets the recommended specs for BO3 above, here‘s how to get split screen working:

1. Launch Black Ops 3 through Steam as normal

2. Plug in two controllers via USB or connect wireless adapters

3. In the multiplayer menu or lobby, access "Split Screen" under your player name:

   

4. Assign controller inputs for the 2nd player

5. Configure multiplayer classes, streaks, gear etc for both players

   

6. Start matchmaking and you‘re playing split screen!

The process is the same whether you want to play core multiplayer or zombies – just access the split screen option from those respective menus after connecting your controllers.

Playing Smooth Multiplayer Split Screen

Once you‘re playing multiplayer split screen, here are some tips:

• Stick together: Don‘t stray too far, stay in sight of each other since you‘ll have limited perspective
• Communicate: Call out enemy locations, ask for help, coordinate attacks
• Have assigned roles: One player focuses on obj, other slayers enemies
• Adjust sensitivity: Faster aiming will help track targets in your viewport
• Smaller maps are better: Nuketown, Combine, Fringe allow you to better support each other

Here‘s some chaotic split screen Team Deathmatch on Nuk3town:

{% youtube zGcR7_cl_io %}

While multiplayer has some quirks and limitations, zombies is a blast with the action contained to close quarters.

Dominating Zombies Split Screen

My top tips for cooperative zombie-slaying:

• Shoot accurately: Go for headshots! Ammo is limited so make shots count
• Utilize special weapons: Ragnaroks, Annihilator, Sword make quick work of hordes
• Team up: Train zombies in a circle or fight together in a room
• Communicate: Call out insta-kills, max ammos, nukes in time
• Open paths early: Unlock all areas so you can regroup & escape

The Giant and Nacht Der Untoten play great in split screen:

{% youtube J3wi8VFXeU8 %}

Community Feedback on Split Screen

I asked my community for their thoughts on playing Black Ops 3 split screen on PC:

"It‘s fantastic being able to share the multiplayer and zombies experience on one PC. Feels just like couch co-op back in the day. Some visual compromises but still super fun." – Steve R.

"My roommate and I play zombies split all the time! Der Eisendrache and Gorod Krovi are our favorites for the epic scale and progression. It can get pretty chaotic but that‘s part of the fun!" – Sam W.

The ability to play a brand new COD release in local co-op on PC brought back a lot of nostalgia for old-school split screen with friends. While visually downgraded, the gameplay interaction made up for it.

My Tips for Optimal Split Screen

After countless hours playing BO3 split screen, here‘s what I recommend for the best experience:

• Overclock your CPU to at least 4GHz – it makes a huge difference
• Enable faster RAM speeds with XMP profile for smoother frame rates
• Tweak graphics settings: Disable motion blur, shadows, AA. Lower resolutions.
• Set FPS cap to 90 – reduces strain for more consistent gameplay
• Play wired if possible for lower latency and controller sync issues
• Use Discord on phones rather than in-game chat that drops out
• Have dual monitors so you can each see better on your own display

While this guide focused on BO3 specifically, the tips around hardware, optimizing performance, and playing cooperatively in split screen apply to the other Call of Duty titles that support the feature as well.

Let me know if you have any other questions down below about playing split screen on Black Ops 3 for PC! I‘m here to help the community get the most out of this underrated option for teaming up.