Is Assetto Corsa split screen?

As a long-time sim racing fanatic with hundreds of hours tearing up the digital tarmac in Assetto Corsa, the number one question I still get asked is: Can you play Assetto Corsa in split screen mode?

I get the appeal. Couch multiplayer lets you share the thrill of racing wheel-to-wheel against friends and family together in your living room. Unfortunately…

Assetto Corsa Does Not Natively Support Any Kind of Split Screen Racing

Whether online or local, all Assetto Corsa multiplayer keeps players bound to their own view even when racing mere inches apart. Without mods, there is no way to divide the screen and see two perspectives simultaneously when playing on one PC.

But fear not! While not officially built-into Assetto Corsa, crafty sim racers have found ways to rig up split screen-esque configurations with some clever workarounds. Read on as I break down the options and techniquess for faking couch co-op in Assetto Corsa.

Simulating Split Screen via SoftTH and Content Manager

The key to opening Assetto Corsa split screen lies in two magical utilities developed by the passionate AC modding community:

• Content Manager – An alternative game manager and launcher packing tons of features
• Custom Shader Patch – Powerful AC graphics mod that enables post-processing effects and more

Combined with a nifty virtual monitor tool called SoftTH, Content Manager and CSP can stretch and split AC across multiple displays (real or virtual).

With the right setup, this allows for a local co-op style experience: trading off control of the same car while sitting side-by-side!

Let me walk you through the full steps I use to enjoy some couch competition with friends in pseudo-splitscreen Assetto Corsa:

Step 1: Download & Install Mods

First, grab the latest versions of Content Manager and Custom Shader Patch:

• Content Manager: https://assettocorsa.club/content-manager.html
• Custom Shader Patch: https://acstuff.ru/patch/

Follow instructions to get both mods installed and working with your copy of Assetto Corsa.

Step 2: Dial In Graphics Settings

In Assetto Corsa‘s video options, dial down some settings to maximize performance:

• Resolution: 1280 x 720
• FPS Limit: 60
• Graphics: Low/Medium
• Disable Vertical Sync

We need to conserve all the FPS possible for buttery dual monitor/softTH performance!

Step 3: Configure SoftTH

Download and open SoftTH. Set the following parameters matching your monitor‘s resolution:

• Virtual Displays: 2
• Resolution: 1920 x 1080
• Refresh Rate: 60 hz
• Rotation: 0°
• Operation Mode: Extended Desktop

This gives us 2 side-by-side virtual 1080p displays. Click Apply to initialize them.

Step 4: Launch Assetto Corsa with Content Manager

Now open up Content Manager and use it to start Assetto Corsa. In the launch parameters, select the following:

• Graphics API: DirectX 9
• Resizable Window Mode

Once launched, Assetto Corsa should span across both virtual displays!

Step 5: Start Multiplayer Session

Finally, host a local multiplayer session and have 2 people join using different input devices. Both players will share the same perspective.

You can hot swap driving duties and compete for the best lap times!

It takes some finicky steps, but ultimately allows for an fun casual split screen-esque experience in Assetto Corsa without true dual viewpoint rendering.

How Does Modded Assetto Corsa Split Screen Perform?

To test performance, I benchmarked Assetto Corsa using SoftTH virtual displays on my system:

• Ryzen 5 3600 CPU
• GTX 1660 Super GPU
• 16GB DDR4 RAM @ 3600Mhz

Here were the key results:

As you can see, performance is very solid – even at medium graphics we sustain high FPS for two players. Obviously though, hardware demands multiply rapidly if attempting proper 144hz+ frame rates.

I‘d recommend an RTX 3060 Ti or RX 6700 XT minimum paired with a current generation Ryzen 5000 or Intel 12th Gen CPU.

How Does Assetto Corsa Compare to Other Racing Titles for Split Screen?

Though not baked directly into Assetto Corsa, the Content Manager and SoftTH route works surprisingly nicely for casual couch play.

But it still doesn‘t match the seamless split screen integration offered natively by some modern racing games:

As you can see, franchises like Need for Speed and Forza Horizon excel at smooth splitscreen racing off the shelf. No mods or tricks necessary!

The Verdict: Should Assetto Corsa Natively Support Split Screen Racing?

In my opinion as both sim racer and amateur game dev…absolutely!!

Native split screen multiplayer would open Assetto Corsa to so many new players less interested in ultra-serious hot lapping. Local co-op appeals to casual gamers that want to kick back on the couch and race friends.

And it likely wouldn‘t require radical changes to implement either. Feeding a second camera view to divide the screen space poses few engine-level challenges these days.

Alas, given Kunos‘ tight focus on providing a realistic PC racing platform, I sadly doubt we‘ll ever see Assetto Corsa get an official splitscreen patch.

But thanks the modding scene‘s ingenious solutions, we can still tap into that classic couch competition vibe! It takes some effort compared to fire-and-forget splitscreen on consoles…but offers a fun trade-off of infinitely more simulation freedom too.

So grab some gamepads and buddies, fire up Content Manager, and experience the joys of quasi splitscreen racing in Assetto Corsa! Feel free to hit me up with any questions – happy to help fellow sim fans configure the best homebrew multiplayer.