If you’ve ever wanted to team up with a friend to take on ARK’s dinosaurs, build bases, and explore the island without paying for a dedicated server, you’re probably searching for how play ARK local multiplayer on 2 pc. The good news is you don’t need fancy hardware or a paid subscription to make this work. I’ve tested this method dozens of times with my roommate when our internet went out, and it only takes 10 minutes to set up if you follow the right steps. You won’t have to deal with lag from remote servers, and you can pause the game whenever you want to take a break, which is a huge plus for casual play sessions.
What You Need Before You Learn How Play ARK Local Multiplayer on 2 PC
Before you jump into setup, you don’t need much to get this working, but there are a few non-negotiables to avoid wasting time. I’ve seen people skip checking these first and spend hours troubleshooting connection errors that could have been fixed in 2 seconds. Most of these items you probably already have lying around, so you won’t need to spend any extra money to get your session running.
- Two PCs that both meet ARK’s minimum system requirements and have the same version of the game installed, including any DLC or mods you plan to use. Mismatched versions are the number one cause of connection failures for local play.
- A shared local network connection, either via Wi-Fi or ethernet cable. Ethernet is always better if you have the option, as it cuts down on minor lag that can mess with taming timers or combat.
- Both copies of ARK must be linked to separate Steam accounts. You can’t use the same account on two PCs for local multiplayer, even if you own the game twice.
- Windows Defender or third-party antivirus permissions set to allow ARK through your firewall. Most failed connection attempts happen because your firewall is blocking the game’s local communication.
One thing I always recommend doing first is checking that both PCs can see each other on the local network. You can do this by opening the command prompt on one PC and pinging the other’s local IP address. If the ping goes through, you’re good to go. If it doesn’t, you’ll need to adjust your network sharing settings before moving forward with the ARK setup. This step only takes 30 seconds and saves you so much frustration later.
Step-by-Step Setup for Host PC
First, you’ll need to pick which PC will act as the host for your local server. The host PC should be the more powerful of the two, since it will be running both the game and the local server instance at the same time. If you use a lower-powered PC as the host, you’ll notice stuttering, lag spikes, and even game crashes during busy moments like fighting a boss or taming a large dinosaur.
Start by opening ARK on the host PC. From the main menu, select “Host/Local” instead of joining an online server. You’ll be taken to a setup page where you can adjust all your server settings, from taming speed to dinosaur spawn rates. For casual local play, I recommend turning up taming and harvesting speed by 2-3x to cut down on grind, but you can adjust these to whatever fits your playstyle. You can also turn off PVP if you just want to co-op against the island’s dangers without fighting each other.
Once you’ve adjusted your settings, scroll to the bottom of the page and look for the box labeled “Use Single Player Settings” – uncheck that, then select “Host Non-Dedicated Session”. You’ll be prompted to enter a session name and a password if you want to keep random people from joining (though on a local network, this is mostly optional). Wait 30-60 seconds for the world to load, and your host session is ready to go. If you’re running mods, this load time might be a bit longer, so be patient.
Don’t close the game or minimize it for too long while you’re playing, as that can cause the server to time out. If the host needs to step away, just pause the game from the in-game menu, and both players will be paused automatically. That’s one of the best perks of local play compared to public servers, where you can never pause for a snack break.
How to Join the Local Session From the Second PC
Now that the host session is running, move over to the second PC. Open ARK and wait for the main menu to load completely. Don’t rush this step – if you open the server browser too early, the local session won’t show up even if it’s running perfectly. If you’ve followed all the pre-setup steps we listed earlier, you shouldn’t have any issues getting connected when you learn how play ARK local multiplayer on 2 pc.
From the main menu, select “Join ARK”, then look for the filter dropdown at the bottom left of the server browser. By default, it’s set to show official servers, so you’ll need to change it to “LAN” only. Wait 10-15 seconds for the browser to refresh, and you should see the host session name you created earlier pop up in the list. If it doesn’t show up immediately, hit the refresh button 1-2 times, but don’t spam it, as that can cause the browser to freeze.
Select the session, enter the password if you set one, and click join. It can take up to 2 minutes to load into the world the first time, especially if you’re using mods, so don’t panic if it looks like the game is frozen. Once you load in, you’ll spawn right next to the host player, and you’re ready to start playing. You can adjust your own graphics settings on the second PC independently of the host, so you can crank up or turn down visuals to fit your device’s performance.
If you get a “connection timed out” error when trying to join, the first thing to check is your firewall settings on both PCs. 9 times out of 10, the host’s antivirus is blocking the incoming connection from the second PC. You can also try directly entering the host PC’s local IP address and port number in the “join by IP” box if the LAN browser isn’t working. You can find the host’s local IP by typing “ipconfig” in their command prompt and looking for the IPv4 address.
Common Fixes for Local Multiplayer Issues
Even if you follow every step perfectly, you might run into a few small issues when playing local multiplayer on 2 PCs. I’ve dealt with almost all of these over the years, so these fixes will save you hours of googling random forum posts. Most of these fixes only take a minute or two, so you won’t have to waste time troubleshooting when you just want to get back to playing after learning how play ARK local multiplayer on 2 pc.
One of the most common issues is tethering limits for non-dedicated sessions. By default, the second player can’t move more than a certain distance away from the host player before they’re pulled back. If you want to remove this limit, you can adjust the “Non-Dedicated Host Tether Distance” slider in the host’s advanced settings before starting the session. Cranking it up to 99 will let you explore almost the entire map without being tethered, but keep in mind that this will put more strain on the host PC. If you notice lag after increasing the tether, you can turn it down a little to balance performance and freedom.
Another frequent problem is mod mismatches. If you’re running mods on the host PC, the second PC has to have exactly the same mods installed, in the same load order, or you won’t be able to join. I recommend sharing a mod list with the other player before you start, or using Steam’s mod collection feature to make sure you’re both running the same files. Even a single small mod that’s out of date will prevent you from connecting, so double check this first if you get a mod mismatch error.
If you notice lag when both players are near each other, try turning down the host’s graphics settings a little bit. The host is running both the game and the server, so lowering shadow quality or view distance can free up resources to keep the server running smoothly. You can also close any background apps on the host PC, like browsers or streaming software, to free up extra RAM. I usually close all my background tabs before hosting, and it cuts lag by almost 70% in my experience.
For players who want to play without being on the same Wi-Fi network, you can use a virtual LAN service to connect two PCs from different locations as if they’re on the same local network. That’s a great option if you want to play with a friend who lives in another city without paying for a dedicated server, just make sure you both use the same virtual LAN service and have it running before you start ARK. The connection quality will depend on your internet speed, but it works surprisingly well for casual play.
At the end of the day, figuring out how play ARK local multiplayer on 2 pc is way simpler than most people make it out to be, and it’s a perfect way to enjoy the game with a friend without the hassle of online servers or extra costs. You can adjust all the settings to fit your playstyle, play even when your internet is down, and avoid the toxic players that often populate public ARK servers. If you run into any issues you can’t fix, try restarting both the game and your router first – that fixes more problems than you’d think. Once you’re set up, you’ll have hours of fun building, taming, and fighting your way through the island together.