No, Forza Horizon 3 Does Not Have 2 Player Split Screen
I know this is disappointing news for many gamers who enjoy local multiplayer. But after closely examining Forza Horizon 3‘s features and technical considerations, it‘s clear there is no same-screen co-op or head-to-head racing available.
Online Multiplayer and Co-Op Campaign Bring the Community Together
While you can‘t play split screen on the same console, FH3 does offer exciting collaborative online modes:
- Co-op campaign for up to 4 players to explore the open world together
- Ad-hoc online adventure races for fun mini-competitions
- Seamless public free roam with drivers all over the world
This connects the Forza community like never before. The shared joy of off-roading across Australia alongside your best friends is an absolute blast!
Direct Performance Comparisons to Other Forza Titles
| Game | Has Split Screen | Max Resolution |
|---|---|---|
| Forza Horizon 3 | No | 1080p 60fps |
| Forza Horizon 4 | No | 4K 60fps |
| Forza Horizon 5 | No | 4K 60fps |
| Forza Motorsport 7 | Yes | 4K 60fps |
As this table shows, none of the Horizon installments have included split screen racing. However, Forza Motorsport 7 does allow for same-device multiplayer.
This suggests the expansive open worlds of the Horizon series have led developers to prioritize graphical capabilities over local co-op.
The Graphics Arms Race: World Scale versus Split Screen
When Forza Horizon 3 launched in 2016, its visuals were absolutely stunning. Lush jungles, sweeping desert plains, and the glittering coastline of Australia were brought to life in unprecedented detail.
Delivering this level of fidelity while maintaining 60 FPS performance was no easy feat. doing so across a split screen would have been near impossible without major visual downgrades.
In the years since, franchises like Gran Turismo, Grid, Project CARS and others have continued raising the simulation racing graphics bar. Keeping up with the competition likely prevented substantial engineering work on split screen features.
Why Forza Motorsport Handles It Differently
By contrast, the Forza Motorsport games focus purely on circuit track racing rather than expansive open worlds. This allows them to maintain visually impressive graphics with smoother performance optimization.
For example, Forza Motorsport 7 from 2017 runs at a steadier 4K60 with cleaner textures than FH3. This leaves more headroom for the split screen implementation.
The Game‘s Legacy Speaks For Itself
While missing split screen stings, there’s no denying Forza Horizon 3 was an enormous critical and commercial success:
- Score of 9.1 on Ignite (PC version)
- Total player base has exceeded 10 million users
- Continues receiving high praise even 6 years after launch
- Kickstarted the ascent of Forza Horizon as Xbox’s flagship racing franchise
Those outstanding accomplishments explain why Playground Games focused their efforts on such a rich online-multiplayer experience rather than local co-op.
The Bottom Line
So in summary – Forza Horizon 3‘s technical constraints around graphics, performance, and scale prevented split screen from being viable. But its achievements helped propel the overall Forza series to new heights in the genre. I‘d love native couch co-op in a future Horizon sequel, but FH3 will still go down as an iconic Xbox exclusive without it.
What do you think? Are you still enjoying the game years later? Let me know in the comments!
