If you’ve ever wandered Ark’s prehistoric wilds alone, dodging T-Rex ambushes while hauling a full inventory of stone, you know how much better the game gets with a friend. Figuring out how to play 2 player on Ark PC doesn’t have to involve messy dedicated server setup or premium subscription fees, either. I’ve tested every possible 2 player setup with my roommate over the last three years, from couch co-op to non-dedicated servers, and I’ve narrowed down the easiest, most reliable methods that work for both vanilla and modded playthroughs. You don’t need advanced tech skills to get set up, just a copy of the game and a friend you trust not to steal all your narcotic berries when you’re not looking.
First: Choose the Right 2 Player Setup for Your Playstyle
Before you jump into settings menus, take 2 minutes to pick the setup that fits your situation. There are three main options for 2 player play on Ark PC, and each has its own pros and cons depending on where you’re playing and what you want out of your playthrough. Non-dedicated server setups are the most popular for online play between two separate locations, split screen co-op works best for in-person play in the same home, and a dedicated server is only worth the effort if you plan to add more players later or run heavy mods.
Use this quick checklist to pick the right option for you:
- Your internet connection speed: If you or your friend have less than 10mbps upload speed, split screen or local non-dedicated servers will be far more stable than online play.
- Whether you want to play in the same room: Split screen is the easiest option for in-person play, no network tweaks required.
- Mod usage plans: Dedicated servers work best for heavily modded playthroughs, as they reduce lag for both players even with 50+ active mods.
I usually stick to non-dedicated servers when playing with my friend who lives two hours away, but we switch to split screen whenever he crashes at my place for a weekend. You don’t have to pick just one setup, either; you can swap between them depending on your plans that week, as long as you back up your save file first.
How to Play 2 Player on Ark PC Using a Non-Dedicated Server
Non-dedicated servers are the fastest way to play 2 player online with a friend who lives in a different location, and you don’t need any extra software to run one. The host runs the game on their PC and the second player connects directly to their instance, so you don’t have to pay for third-party server hosting. The only downside for new players is the default tether limit, which pulls the second player back to the host if they wander too far away, but that’s easy to fix.
First, make sure both you and your friend have the exact same version of Ark, and the exact same mods enabled if you’re using any. Mismatched mod versions are the number one cause of connection crashes for 2 player play, so double check this before you start. The host will then open Ark, select “Host/Local” from the main menu, and adjust the server settings. Make sure the non-dedicated host box is checked, and set the tether distance to the maximum value of 99999 to eliminate the annoying pullback effect. You can also adjust difficulty, tame speed, and resource respawn rates here to fit your playstyle.
Once the host loads into the map, the second player can open Ark, go to the “Join Ark” menu, filter for non-dedicated servers, and search for the host’s gamertag to join. If you can’t see the server, use the in-game friend invite feature instead, or make sure both of you have port 27015 open on your routers. Don’t forget to turn off friendly fire if you’re new to co-op, too. I can’t tell you how many times I accidentally shot my roommate with a tranq dart while we were trying to tame a Pteranodon, and we ended up losing the tame entirely because he passed out mid-attempt.
How to Set Up Split Screen 2 Player Play on Ark PC
If you and your friend are in the same room, split screen is the most hassle-free way to play 2 player on Ark PC. No internet connection is required, no port forwarding, no mod mismatches to worry about, just you and your friend exploring the map together from the same device. The only catch is that you’ll need two controllers to use split screen; Ark PC doesn’t support two separate keyboard and mouse setups for local co-op, so if you only have one controller, you’ll need to pick up a second cheap one before you get started.
First, open Ark and go to the gameplay settings menu. Scroll down until you see the split screen option, and toggle it on. Next, connect your second controller to your PC via Bluetooth or USB, and head back to the main menu. Press the start button on the second controller, and the second player will be prompted to either log into their own Steam/Epic account or play as a guest. If they log into their own account, they’ll earn achievements for their progress, while guest play won’t save to any external account.
Before you load into your map, take a minute to adjust your split screen input settings separately for each player. The default sensitivity for the second controller is usually way too high, and you don’t want to be fumbling with camera settings while a pack of raptors is attacking your base. You’ll also want to turn down your graphics settings slightly if you notice frame drops; split screen renders two separate views at once, so even high-end PCs can struggle if you have all settings maxed out.
Top Tips for Smooth, Fun 2 Player Ark PC Sessions
Once you’re set up and in the game, these small tweaks will make your playthrough far less frustrating, especially if you’re new to co-op Ark. First, assign roles early on to avoid wasting time duplicating work. One player can focus on gathering resources and taming small creatures, while the other focuses on building the base and crafting tools and weapons. You can swap roles whenever you want, but having a clear plan keeps you from both running off to pick berries when your base is half-built and exposed to predator attacks.
Next, turn on shared progression in your server or game settings if you want both players to unlock engrams at the same rate, even if one of you can only play a couple hours a week. By default, engram points are only awarded to the player who earns the XP, so if one player plays far more often, the other will be stuck with low-tier tools even after hours of playing together. Shared progression fixes that entirely, and it’s one of the most underrated settings for 2 player play.
If you’re using a non-dedicated server, avoid bringing tamed dinosaurs near the edge of the tether boundary, even if you turned the limit up to maximum. I’ve lost three fully tamed Rexes because they wandered just outside the boundary when I teleported back to base, and they despawned before I could get back to them. It’s also a good idea to set a shared storage chest near your base that both of you have full access to, so you don’t have to drop resources on the ground to share them. I used to lose half my metal ore because a raptor would sneak up and attack me while I was waiting for my friend to pick up the stack, so the shared chest eliminated that issue entirely.
Finally, save your game manually every 30 minutes or so, especially if you’re running mods. Ark’s auto-save feature can be buggy during co-op play, and there’s nothing worse than losing three hours of progress taming a Giga because your game crashed right before the auto-save ran.
Playing Ark with a friend turns a stressful, sometimes grindy survival game into one of the best co-op experiences you can have on PC. Whether you’re setting up a non-dedicated server for cross-house play or huddling on the couch for split screen, figuring out how to play 2 player on Ark PC is far simpler than most new players expect. Start with the setup that matches your internet and playstyle, tweak the settings to fix common pain points like tether limits, and you’ll be taming your first T-Rex together in no time. Just don’t forget to split the narcotic berries evenly.