If you’ve ever booted up ARK: Survival Evolved or Survival Ascended and thought the harsh dinosaur-filled world feels way too lonely to tackle alone, you’re not alone. A huge portion of the player base prefers teaming up with a friend instead of grinding solo, and one of the most common questions new players ask is how do you play 2 player ark without running into constant crashes or weird progression bugs. I’ve spent hundreds of hours playing co-op ARK with my roommate and long-distance friends, so I’ve worked through every possible setup kink you might run into, from console split screen limits to PC hosted game lag. This guide breaks down every possible 2 player setup, plus the tweaks that make your playthrough way more enjoyable, no matter what platform you’re on.
How Do You Play 2 Player ARK: Core Setup Options for All Platforms
There are two primary ways to play 2 player ARK, and the right one for you depends on whether you and your friend are playing in the same house or from different locations. You don’t need any special paid tools for either setup on vanilla ARK, though modded play will require a bit of extra prep work before you get started. Before you attempt any setup, make sure you have all the following ready to avoid last-minute headaches:
- An active ARK copy for both players (same version, no crossplay between Survival Evolved and Ascended unless you set up modded crossplay)
- Stable internet connection if you’re playing online, even if you’re in the same house (non-dedicated servers rely on host internet speed)
- Two controllers if you’re playing split screen on console, or one controller and one keyboard/mouse setup for modded PC split screen
- Matching mod lists if you’re playing with custom content, down to the exact mod version to avoid crashes on join
Non-dedicated hosted sessions are the easiest option for most 2 player teams, because you don’t have to pay for a third-party server, and you can start playing in 2 minutes or less. The only downside is that the second player can’t wander more than 200-300 meters away from the host on vanilla settings, so you’ll have to stick relatively close together if you don’t tweak that limit. You both need to be on the same platform for vanilla crossplay unless you’re playing ARK: Survival Ascended, which added limited crossplay between PC and console in recent updates.
Step-by-Step Local Split Screen Setup for Consoles
If you’re playing on PS4/PS5 or Xbox One/Series X/S, split screen 2 player ARK is built right into the base game, no extra downloads needed. First, make sure the second player has a guest profile or their own Xbox Live/PSN account signed in on the same console. Boot up ARK, load your single player save, then press the menu button on the second controller to join. You’ll get a pop-up asking if you want to enable split screen, and once you confirm, the second player will spawn right next to your existing character.
Note that split screen only works for PvE play on vanilla console ARK, you can’t use it for PVP servers. The screen will split horizontally by default, but you can change it to vertical in the display settings if that’s easier for you. Performance will take a small hit when you run split screen, so if you’re on an older console like PS4 or Xbox One, I recommend turning down grass and view distance settings to avoid frame drops. I used to play split screen on my old PS4 all the time, and dropping view distance to medium cut our frame drops by almost 70% with no real impact on gameplay.
The second player’s progress saves directly to the host’s game file, so if you want to play without the host later, they’ll have to download their character data to their own account first through the manage saves menu. It’s a simple process, but it’s easy to forget, so I recommend doing it after your first play session to avoid losing progress later.
How to Set Up Online 2 Player ARK Without a Dedicated Server
If you and your friend are playing from different locations, you don’t need to shell out $10+ a month for a dedicated server to play 2 player ARK. Non-dedicated hosted sessions let you run the server directly from your main game, so you can play while hosting at the same time. To set it up, go to the main menu, select “Host/Local”, adjust your server settings to your preference, then check the box that says “non-dedicated server” before you launch. Once you’re in game, send your friend the session code or invite them directly through your platform’s friend list. They’ll be able to join in 30 seconds or less as long as your internet is stable.
I mentioned the tether limit earlier, but you can increase it almost infinitely if you’re playing on PC by opening the console with the ~ key and typing “PerPlayerMaxTetherDistance 99999”. Don’t set the tether limit higher than 10000 on console though, it will cause constant crashes because older console hardware can’t handle loading that much map for two players at once. If you’re playing on console and the tether limit feels too restrictive, you can always look for a small public PvE server that only has a few players on it, which will let you wander as far apart as you want for free.
The server only runs when the host is online, so if the host logs off, the second player will be kicked immediately. That’s not a big deal for most 2 player teams who plan their play sessions together, but if you want to be able to play separately, you’ll need to upgrade to a cheap dedicated server eventually. My friend lives 3 hours away from me, and we used a non-dedicated server for our first 100 hours of ARK: Survival Ascended with zero major issues, as long as I plugged my PC directly into my ethernet cable instead of using wifi.
Pro Tips to Make Your 2 Player ARK Playthrough Run Smoothly
One of the best parts of playing 2 player ARK is that you can split roles instead of having to grind every skill yourself. For example, one player can spec into crafting and building, while the other focuses on taming and combat, so you progress twice as fast as you would solo. Set shared tribe permissions right away so you both can access all storage boxes, tamed dinos, and building parts without having to ask for access every time. I’ve had way too many play sessions derailed by forgotten permission settings that left one of us locked out of our base after a long taming run.
Always back up your save file once every 2-3 hours of play, especially if you’re hosting a non-dedicated server. ARK is famous for random save corruption bugs, and losing 10 hours of taming and building because your game crashed is one of the worst feelings in the world. You can back up your save file in the “Manage Saves” menu on console, or by copying the save folder to a separate location on PC. It takes 30 seconds and will save you hours of frustration down the line.
Turn on “friendly fire” only if you both are very comfortable with combat, otherwise you’ll end up accidentally killing each other or your tamed dinos during tense dinosaur fights. I learned that the hard way when I accidentally shot my friend’s level 120 T-Rex with a rocket launcher during a raptor attack, and we had to spend 3 hours taming a new one. If you do decide to leave friendly fire on, make sure you both agree on clear callouts for when you’re shooting near each other.
Sync your play sessions around big goals like taming a large dino or exploring a new cave, so you don’t end up with one player way ahead of the other in levels and gear. If one player can’t make a session, the host can play solo for a bit, but try to avoid progressing too far without the other player, or they’ll feel left behind when they come back. The point of 2 player ARK is to have fun together, not to grind as fast as possible.
At the end of the day, figuring out how do you play 2 player ark is way simpler than most new players expect, even if you run into a few small setup kinks at first. Whether you’re huddled on the couch playing split screen with your roommate or teaming up with a long-distance friend online, playing ARK with a partner makes the entire survival experience way more fun, and way less frustrating when you get attacked by a random Rex out of nowhere. Try out the different setup options to see what works best for your team, and don’t be afraid to tweak settings to fit your playstyle. The best part of ARK is making your own fun, and playing with a friend makes every win feel twice as good.