There’s nothing better than diving into the chaotic, dinosaur-filled world of ARK with a friend sitting right next to you on the couch. If you’ve been fumbling through menus trying to figure out how to play 2 player on Ark Survival Evolved Xbox One, you’re not alone. The setup process isn’t as straightforward as it is for most other Xbox co-op games, and I’ve spent more than a few Friday nights troubleshooting settings instead of taming T-Rexes with my roommate. This guide breaks down every step you need to follow, plus fixes for the most annoying issues that pop up during local or online 2 player sessions.
How to Play 2 Player on Ark Survival Evolved Xbox One: Split-Screen Setup Steps
Local split-screen is the easiest way to play 2 player with someone in the same home, and you don’t need an Xbox Live Gold subscription to use it. First, make sure both Xbox controllers are paired to your console, and sign both players into separate Xbox profiles. If the second player doesn’t have their own profile, you can use a guest profile, but their progress won’t save between sessions. You must have both Xbox profiles signed in before launching ARK, or the second player won’t be able to join your session. Once both profiles are active, launch ARK and select “Host/Local” from the main menu, not “Join Ark”. Adjust any world settings you want (like difficulty, taming speed, or resource rates) before clicking “Play Single Player” to load your world. When the world finishes loading, the second player just needs to press the Menu button on their controller, and their character will spawn right next to yours in a split-screen view. That’s all it takes for basic split-screen play, but there are a few tweaks you can make to keep the game running smoothly.
Adjusting Settings for Smooth 2 Player Co-op Gameplay
ARK is a notoriously graphics-heavy game, and running two instances of the world at once on an Xbox One can cause lag if you don’t tweak your settings first. Start by opening the options menu and heading to the graphics tab. Turn off motion blur, depth of field, and bloom effects first – these add very little to the gameplay experience and take up a lot of processing power. Lowering the “Structure Draw Distance” setting by 20-30% will cut down on split-screen lag drastically without making the world feel empty. You should also turn off crossplay if you’re only playing local split-screen, as the extra background connection processes can cause performance drops. If you’re playing an online 2 player session instead of local split-screen, you don’t need to adjust graphics settings as much, but you should make sure your Xbox’s NAT type is set to Open to avoid connection drops with your co-op partner. Keep in mind that for non-dedicated online sessions, the host’s save file stores both players’ progress, so you’ll need to host from the same Xbox profile every time you want to keep playing with the same characters and base.
Fixing Common 2 Player ARK Xbox One Issues
Even if you follow all the setup steps perfectly, you’re probably going to run into a few glitches – that’s just part of playing ARK. I’ve dealt with every single one of these issues dozens of times, so these fixes are tested and proven to work:
- Second player can’t press start to join: Close ARK fully, sign both profiles in again, and restart the game. Make sure the second profile has access to multiplayer content in your Xbox family settings if applicable.
- Constant lag or game crashes: Turn off “HD Textures” in the graphics menu, and limit the number of tamed dinos you keep near your base to under 30, as excessive entities cause performance drops on split-screen.
- Second player loses their inventory on respawn: Turn off the “Hardcore” mode setting before hosting your session, as this mode deletes all player progress on death for all users.
- Can’t invite a friend to play online 2 player: Make sure both of you have an active Xbox Live Gold subscription, and that your NAT type is set to Open in your Xbox network settings.
Tips for Enjoyable 2 Player ARK Co-op Sessions
Once you get your session up and running, a few small changes can make your co-op experience way more fun, and save you from unnecessary fights with your play partner. First, split up roles early on. For example, one player can focus on gathering wood, thatch, and stone for building, while the other hunts small dinos for hide and meat to keep you both fed. As you progress, you can split more specialized roles, like one player focusing on taming dinos while the other builds up your base defenses. Set a shared storage chest near your spawn point for extra resources, so neither player has to run back to their personal inventory every time they need materials. You should also agree on ground rules for taming and base building before you get too far into the game. There’s no worse feeling than spending hours gathering materials for a new dino pen, only to find your partner used all the metal to build a random tower on the other side of the map. If you’re playing a non-dedicated session, be extra careful about how far you wander from the host. Avoid wandering too far from each other in non-dedicated sessions, as the game will teleport the second player back to the host if they get more than 500 meters away. Playing with a partner also makes boss fights way easier, since you can split the boss’s aggro and attack from two sides at once. Don’t be afraid to try taking on the Broodmother or Megapithecus earlier than you would in single player – two players with basic flak armor and good rifles can take down most lower-level bosses without too much trouble.
Once you get past the slightly confusing setup process, learning how to play 2 player on Ark Survival Evolved Xbox One opens up one of the best co-op experiences available on the console. You don’t need any extra gear besides a second controller and a friend who’s willing to help you fight off raptors while you build your first base. I still play split-screen sessions with my younger brother every weekend, and we’ve put more than 200 hours into our shared save file without getting bored. Don’t get frustrated if you run into a few glitches at first – the payoff of exploring the ARK world together is more than worth the 10 minutes of setup time.