The Complete Guide to Playing War Thunder Split Screen

As an aviation combat enthusiast and avid War Thunder player, one of my favorite ways to experience the intense air and ground battles is side-by-side with a friend in split screen co-op mode. Taking on missions together in the same physical space makes for camaraderie-building gameplay full of fun and hilarious moments.

In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll walk you through everything you need to know about getting split screen up and running in War Thunder on both consoles and PC.

Step-by-Step: Enabling Split Screen Mode

The first thing you need to do is make sure you‘ve got the necessary hardware – an Xbox One, PS4, or gaming PC along with two compatible controllers.

• On Xbox One or PS4:
  • Connect the 2nd controller via USB or wireless sync
  • Press A (Xbox) or X (Playstation) on 2nd controller when in War Thunder menu
  • Sign in to 2nd player‘s platform account when prompt appears
• For PC:
  • Connect both controllers by USB or wireless adapter
  • Press A or X on 2nd controller after launching War Thunder
  • Sign in prompt will appear for 2nd player

Once both players are signed in, you‘re all set for split screen multiplayer!

Inside the Split Screen Experience

With split screen enabled, War Thunder intelligently divides the display region so both players get a dedicated gameplay window while sharing a single screen.

• You can choose between horizontal or vertical orientation
• Each player has their own full field of vision and HUD/UI elements
• You‘ll hear combined audio from both gameplay sessions
• Progression, bonuses, achievements are tracked separately per signed in account

This allows you to truly play co-operatively and collaborate on missions or just freestyle air/ground battles with someone else in the same physical gaming space.

Squad Up for Co-op or Face Off Competitively

War Thunder flexibly supports both cooperative and competitive local split screen multiplayer.

When playing co-operatively, you‘ll be placed on the same in-game squad. This means you can coordinate together to achieve mission objectives, provide air support for each other‘s tanks, or watch each other‘s six in aerial dogfights.

If feeling more competitive, you can matchmake into opposing squads. This pits you head-to-head as rivals on the battlefield – an exciting way to directly test your skills against a friend sitting right next to you!

Crossplay Enabled Online Multiplayer

In addition to local split screen play, War Thunder also offers deep online multiplayer components with full crossplay support across PC, Xbox One and PS4.

This means two players in the same room can squad up online with friends on other platforms for 4 player co-op sessions. Or have competitive team battles with the screen real estate all to yourself.

With over 75 million registered players as of 2022, War Thunder has one of the largest free-to-play online gaming communities. Finding online teammates or opponents is never an issue which makes both online and local co-op extremely accessible.

Troubleshooting Split Screen Setup

In some cases, you may run into issues getting split screen mode enabled properly on your console or PC. Here are some troubleshooting tips:

• Ensure your display output resolution is set to 720p or higher
• Try power cycling your console / PC and controllers
• Re-connect controller connections and check for firmware updates
• For PC, verify your controller drivers are up to date
• If problems persist, try reinstalling War Thunder

Getting split screen up and running may require some tweaking, but once configured it provides an awesome gameplay experience.

Comparing Split Screen to Online Co-op

While local split screen play offers unique in-person camaraderie and direct coordination with a friend, War Thunder‘s online co-op missions provide some advantages of their own:

So while local split screen play has irreplaceable real-world social appeal, online co-op enables playing together across great distances. Mixing up both split screen and online sessions gives all the variety a War Thunder enthusiast could want!

Controller Compatibility

If setting up split screen mode on PC, it‘s important to know which controllers are compatible. Here‘s a breakdown by major device:

So Xbox One or PS4 gamepads are the only ones supported for PC split screen. Other peripheral brands may work by mapping their inputs to Xbox/PS4 controller buttons.

More Awesome Split Screen Games Like War Thunder

While War Thunder shines as an air/ground vehicle sandbox supporting local co-op, there are lots of other great split screen games across genres worth checking out:

• Halo MCC (FPS)
• Rocket League (Vehicular Soccer)
• Portal 2 (Puzzle Platformer)
• Elden Ring (Action RPG)
• Gran Turismo 7 (Racing Sim)

Any local multiplayer game gets a boost when you add another friend into the action right next to you. And War Thunder handles split screen with polish making it a standout choice.

The Value of Local Co-op in Gaming

Split screen and same-room multiplayer offers something special that online gaming can‘t necessarily replicate. Industry veterans like Xbox director Greg Stone articulate it well:

“being next to someone while you’re both playing, having that shared surprise, laughter, sadness."

Meanwhile, Portal 2 co-op designer Erik Wolpaw believes:

“There’s something genuinely special about being in the same room with someone…It turns out playing next to someone is almost a different experience completely from playing online with them.”

This sentiment around the irregular social magic that local co-op enables explains why dedicated gaming fans still clamor for robust split screen functionality. The feature thrives today in titles like War Thunder and ensures the beloved gameplay mode won‘t fade away anytime soon.

So rally that longtime friend or rival round for some War Thunder split screen action! This comprehensive guide details everything you need to know play together on the same screen and take your War Thunder skills to new heights through direct collaboration. Split screen support allows Xbox, PlayStation, and PC gamers alike to experience this excellent vehicular combat game in a whole new light.