If you’ve ever wanted to survive the dinosaur-infested wilds of Ark with a friend instead of grinding alone, you’re probably looking for how to play ark 2 player pc without the frustrating setup errors that trip up most new players. I spent three hours troubleshooting connection issues when I first tried to play with my roommate a few years back, so I’ve compiled every tested trick to get you set up fast, no advanced tech knowledge required. We’ll cover every common setup method, fixes for the most annoying co-op bugs, and tips to make your shared playthrough run as smoothly as possible.
How to Play Ark 2 Player on PC: 2 Common Setup Methods
Before you jump into setup, there are a few basic things you need to have ready to avoid running into issues halfway through. These apply for both local split screen play and online co-op with a friend who’s not in the same house:
- A fully updated copy of Ark: Survival Evolved or Survival Ascended on Steam or Epic Games Store, with all matching DLC if you plan to play on expansion maps
- Two separate controllers for split screen play, or one controller plus keyboard and mouse (note that keyboard and mouse only works for the first player in split screen mode)
- A stable internet connection with at least 10 Mbps upload speed if you’re hosting a non-dedicated server for a friend playing remotely
- Matching game versions between both players – even a small hotfix mismatch will cause immediate connection errors
The most popular setup for casual 2 player play is local split screen, which works if you and your friend are in the same physical space. To set it up, launch Ark, select “Host/Local” from the main menu, pick your preferred map, and check the “Use Split Screen” box before loading in. Once you spawn in as the first player, turn on the second controller, press the start button when prompted, and the second player can create or load their existing survivor. The biggest downside of split screen is that you’ll lose 30-40% of your frame rate on most PCs, and you have limited screen space for both players.
If you’re playing with a friend who lives elsewhere, a non-dedicated server is your best bet. Launch Ark, select “Host/Local”, choose your map, set the non-dedicated host tether distance to the maximum 10000 value, create a simple password, and launch the server. Your friend can find your game by searching for your username in the server browser or joining directly through their Steam/Epic Games friends list. This setup gives both players full screen access, but the host has to stay online the entire time you play, and there’s still a tether limit that prevents the second player from wandering too far from the host.
Fixes for the Most Common 2 Player Ark PC Errors
Even if you follow every setup step perfectly, you’re likely to run into at least one error when you first try to play co-op. These are the most frequent issues I’ve helped friends fix over the years, with simple solutions that work 90% of the time.
Connection timeout when joining a non-dedicated server is the most common issue for remote co-op play. First, confirm that both players have the exact same game version and identical mods installed if you’re using modded content. Next, add Ark as an exception to both your firewall and antivirus software, as security tools often block Ark’s server connection by default. If that doesn’t work, port forward 27015-27016 on your router if you’re the host, to let your friend’s connection reach your server directly.
Split screen second player can’t join usually happens if your PC doesn’t recognize the second controller. First, test the controller in Steam Settings > Controller > General Controller Settings to make sure it’s registered properly. Unplug any unused peripherals like old gamepads or flight sticks, as these can register as active controllers and prevent the second player from joining. If the prompt still doesn’t pop up, restart Ark and try again – this fixes the issue for most people.
Tether range kicking the second player out is a common frustration for non-dedicated server players. If you’re playing Ark: Survival Evolved, you can edit your GameUserSettings.ini file to set the tether distance to 99999, which effectively removes the limit entirely. This fix doesn’t work for Ark: Survival Ascended as of now, so you’ll have to stick to the in-game maximum tether range for that version of the game.
Second player loses their survivor progress almost always happens when the host closes the game without saving first, or the second player uses a different account to join. For split screen play, the second player’s save is stored on the host’s PC, so don’t delete your save files if you want to keep their progress. For online non-dedicated play, make sure the second player uses the same Steam/Epic account every time they join, to keep their survivor data intact.
Pro Tips for a Smooth 2 Player Ark Playthrough
Once you get your co-op game up and running, these small tweaks will make your playthrough way more enjoyable, and help you progress faster than you ever could playing solo.
Split roles early to avoid wasting resources before you spend your first engram points. Have one player focus on gathering, farming, and base building perks, and the other focus on taming, combat, and exploration perks. That way you don’t both waste points on the same tools, and you can unlock twice as many useful items in the first few hours of play. My friend and I have used this trick for years, and we got our first metal base up in half the time it took me when I played solo.
Stick close to the host if you’re on a non-dedicated server even if you have the maximum tether range set. Wandering too far will either teleport you straight back to the host or kick you from the server entirely, so plan exploration and taming trips together instead of splitting up. If you want to explore separate areas for long periods of time, you’ll need to rent a dedicated server, but that’s an unnecessary expense for most casual 2 player groups.
Adjust your graphic settings for better performance before you start playing, especially if you’re using split screen. Lower shadow quality and turn off anti-aliasing first, as these two settings take up the most GPU power and have the smallest impact on how the game looks. If you’re hosting a non-dedicated server, close all background apps like browsers or streaming software before launching Ark, to free up as much RAM as possible for the game and server.
Use a shared storage chest near your spawn point as one of your first building projects. That way both players can drop resources and access tools without having to trade back and forth constantly. Mark the chest on your map with a unique icon, so you can find it easily if you get lost after a long taming run out in the wild.
Is Modded 2 Player Ark on PC Worth Trying?
One of the biggest perks of playing Ark on PC is the huge library of community made mods, and most of them work perfectly for 2 player co-op if you set them up correctly. That said, there are a few things to keep in mind before you start downloading dozens of mods for your playthrough.
Stick to small, quality of life mods if you’re new to modded co-op to avoid compatibility issues. Mods like Stack Me More, Super Spyglass, and Dino Storage V2 cut down on the game’s tedious grind without changing core gameplay, and they’re compatible with almost all co-op setups. Just make sure both players have the exact same mod versions installed before you launch the game, otherwise you won’t be able to connect to the server.
If you want to try total conversion mods like Primal Fear or custom map mods, you’ll need to make sure both players have the full mod downloaded and enabled before you launch your server. Expect longer load times for both the host and joining player, as total conversion mods are usually several gigabytes in size. Always check the mod’s Steam Workshop page for co-op compatibility notes before you install it, as some mods break core co-op functionality and will cause crashes or lost progress.
I learned this the hard way a few years ago, when I installed a random custom dino mod for a playthrough with my friend. Half an hour in, all of our tamed dinos disappeared for the second player, and we had to roll back to an earlier save and remove the mod entirely. It’s always a good idea to back up your save file before adding new mods to an existing 2 player playthrough, so you don’t lose hours of progress if something goes wrong.
At the end of the day, figuring out how to play ark 2 player pc doesn’t have to be a headache, as long as you follow the right setup steps and troubleshoot common issues before you start. Playing with a friend turns the sometimes frustrating grind of Ark into a fun, shared adventure, whether you’re building a tiny thatch hut together or taking down your first T-Rex. Don’t get discouraged if your first setup attempt doesn’t work – even seasoned Ark players run into co-op errors every now and then. Test one fix at a time, and you’ll be exploring the Ark with your favorite co-op partner in no time.