If you’re a long-time fan of the Ark franchise, you probably have fond memories of hunkering down on the couch with friends to tame dinosaurs, build fortified bases, and fight off raider groups together in local split screen mode. The original Ark: Survival Evolved’s split screen feature was a huge hit with console players, especially for groups that didn’t want to shell out for extra consoles or game copies to play together. If you’re one of the many players asking will Ark 2 be split screen, you’re not alone. We’ve dug through official developer statements, community feedback, and playtest leaks to bring you the most accurate, up-to-date answer to this question, plus actionable tips for playing locally if the feature isn’t available at launch.
What Official Sources Say About Split Screen Support in Ark 2
Studio Wildcard, the developer behind the Ark franchise, has shared very few explicit details about split screen support for Ark 2 so far. That doesn’t mean the feature is off the table entirely, though. The team has repeatedly stated that co-op play is a core priority for the franchise, and they want to make sure players can enjoy the game with friends in whatever way works best for them. Studio Wildcard has confirmed that 4-player online co-op will be available at launch, for both PvE and PvP servers, with support for cross-play across all major platforms.
The original Ark: Survival Evolved supported split screen on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and their next-gen counterparts, but performance varied wildly depending on the platform. On older consoles, split screen play often dropped to 20-30 FPS, with frequent texture pop-ins and lag when exploring dense areas or fighting large groups of dinosaurs. On next-gen consoles, the feature ran much smoother, hitting 60 FPS for two-player split screen in most open world areas. PC players never got native split screen support, even with the latest high-end hardware, forcing users to rely on community mods to enable the feature.
Studio Wildcard has mentioned that they are working to avoid the performance issues that plagued the first game’s launch, so any feature that could compromise frame rate or stability is being carefully evaluated before being added to the launch build. That includes split screen, which requires rendering two separate views of the game world at once, doubling the load on a console’s GPU and CPU.
Will Ark 2 Be Split Screen At Launch?
Based on all available official information, the short answer is no, split screen will almost certainly not be available when Ark 2 first launches. The development team is focused on optimizing the game’s core Unreal Engine 5 build for next-gen consoles first, to make sure the open world runs at a stable 60 FPS with no major bugs or glitches for online players. Adding split screen support would require months of additional optimization work that is not currently on the launch roadmap.
That doesn’t mean the feature will never come to the game, though. Studio Wildcard has a long track record of adding highly requested community features to Ark games post-launch, and split screen is one of the most requested features for Ark 2 by a wide margin. You can submit feedback to Studio Wildcard via their official Discord or feedback forums to push for split screen to be added in a post-launch patch. The more players that ask for the feature, the higher priority it will be for the development team.
Many players who are disappointed by the lack of confirmed split screen are looking for other ways to play casual co-op games while waiting for post-launch updates. If you want a quick, fun co-op experience to fill the time until Ark 2 adds more local play features, you can try 777 Game, a casual multiplayer title that supports local couch play for up to 4 players with no extra hardware required. It’s a great way to pass the time with friends between testing Ark 2’s online co-op modes, and it works on both consoles and PC if you want a break from the high-stress survival grind.
Alternate Ways to Play Ark 2 With Friends Locally If Split Screen Isn't Available
If you’re eager to play Ark 2 with friends or family on the same couch at launch, you don’t have to wait for split screen support to be added. There are several simple workarounds you can use to get a similar local play experience without native split screen, with varying levels of performance and cost. We’ve tested these methods with other online co-op games, and most work seamlessly with little to no extra setup required:
If you opt for the console family sharing method, you will need an active PlayStation Plus or Xbox Game Pass Core subscription to play online, even if you’re playing on a private PvE server with just your friends. That’s the only extra cost associated with this method, which makes it the most affordable option for most players. Native split screen support will always offer better performance than workarounds, so it’s worth waiting for official support if you don’t want to deal with input lag or reduced frame rates.
What Split Screen Features Could We See In Future Ark 2 Updates?
If split screen is added to Ark 2 post-launch, we can expect a number of quality of life improvements over the first game’s somewhat clunky implementation. The development team has already shared that they are taking player feedback from the original Ark into account for all new features, so split screen will likely be far more polished and customizable this time around.
One of the most requested improvements is adjustable split screen ratios, so you can make one player’s screen larger if they’re new to the game and need more visibility, or split the screen evenly for more experienced players. The team could also add separate controller and UI settings for each split screen player, so you don’t have to share the same control scheme or HUD layout when playing with friends who prefer different settings. Another highly requested feature is shared progression for split screen players, so both players can earn experience points and unlock engrams on their own accounts even when playing on the same screen.
There’s also a chance that Studio Wildcard could add 4-player split screen support for next-gen consoles, a feature that was only available via mods in the original Ark. Community feedback is the biggest factor that will determine if and when split screen is added to Ark 2, so make your voice heard if this is a feature you care about. Even a single feedback submission can help push the feature higher up the development priority list.
At the end of the day, the answer to will ark 2 be split screen is not yet confirmed for launch, but there’s a high chance the feature will be added in a post-launch update if enough players ask for it. For now, you can use the workarounds we listed to play with friends locally, or try casual co-op titles to pass the time while you wait for official news. No matter how you choose to play, Ark 2’s massive open world and dynamic survival gameplay will be a blast to experience with friends, whether you’re playing online or on the same couch.