Best Couch Co-op Games For The Xbox Series X|S

Summary

• Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War offers an excellent split-screen experience with its famous zombie mode, providing satisfying gameplay against hordes of undead.
• Star Wars Battlefront 2 allows players to engage in action-packed battles against enemy soldiers, offering both first and third-person perspectives for versatile gameplay.
• Fortnite, one of the most famous games worldwide, offers split-screen multiplayer in its main modes, such as Duos and Squads, allowing players to team up and compete in the battle royale arena.

It is becoming rarer and rarer to find a game that allows you and a buddy or two to play side by side on the couch. However, while split-screen multiplayer may be becoming a thing of the past, for the time being, you can still find a game here or there that features it, even on the newest consoles like the Xbox Series X|S.

There are a ton of great co-op games on the Xbox, with many of them offering satisfying storylines to beat with a friend. However, if you’re looking to share a bevy with a friend while shooting aliens or rekindle a failing relationship with your partner - in the game, of course - then these split-screen multiplayer titles are for you.

Updated on April 30, 2025, by Ben Jessey: There are a bunch of great split-screen games on the Xbox Series X|S. We made a collection of the best ones, and now we've updated it to add a few more.

Split Fiction

Split Fiction is an action-adventure game completely designed around co-op. In fact, you can’t actually play the game alone. The two of you play as a pair of writers trying to get their work published. However, a big publishing company actually wants to steal their ideas, so they put them into special machines that will harvest their stories straight from their brains. The two protagonists accidentally end up stuck in the same one. To get out, they need to play through different stories they’ve written.

This premise results in an exceptional co-op adventure with good voice acting and clever level design. Also, the experience never gets boring, as the main game mechanic changes for each level, meaning there is plenty of variety throughout.

Diablo 4

As is typical for the Diablo series, the fourth game is an online action RPG dungeon crawler. You create a character, choose a class, and then go on an adventure. Much of that adventure revolves around fighting all sorts of different enemies and raiding procedurally generated dungeons.

The game can seem complicated at first, but you quickly get the hang of it, and once you do, it becomes a lot of fun. It becomes even more fun when you have a friend by your side, as it makes the battles extra exciting.

Risk Of Rain 2

Risk of Rain 2 is a cooperative roguelite game where you're placed on an alien planet. The goal is to survive. This means dealing with a dangerous environment and even more dangerous monsters.

You battle and kill these beasts as you loot items that make you more formidable. However, you're not the only one who gets tougher. More powerful creatures keep spawning, making survival even more difficult. It's an enjoyable game to play, and because of its great art style, it's nice to look at, too.

Goat Simulator: Remastered

Have you ever wondered what it is like to be a goat? If so, that's a surprise, as most people have never considered it. Yet, Coffee Stain Studios has made multiple games around the concept, and they happen to be plenty of fun.

Goat Simulator: Remastered is an updated version of the original game. The visuals have been improved, and all of the original DLCs are included, so it's the ultimate version of the first Goat Simulator. Therefore, it provides plenty of wacky fun for you and some buddies, as you all cause chaos in an open world.

Hypercharge: Unboxed

Have you ever watched Toy Story and wished the toys would start shooting each other? If so, then Hypercharge: Unboxed might interest you, as it's a shooter featuring action figures.

In the campaign, you and your teammates attempt to protect a power source called the Hypercore from the aptly named Major Evil. To do this, you must fight against the villain's evil forces that, like you, are toys. If you don't want to team up with people, there are also PvP modes to enjoy. All of the modes have you battling in domestic and retail environments, such as on desks and in the garden. This brings uniqueness and charm to the experience.

Trail Out

Trail Out is a racing game that embraces chaos and destruction. Even in standard races, cars are flying all over the place while smashing up buildings and other vehicles. However, that is still perhaps the least chaotic mode in the game. There are a bunch of other ones that make destruction more of a priority.

For instance, there is the Derby Classic mode, which is a destruction derby where everyone crashes into one another to be the last car standing. There is also a mode where an aircraft blows up anyone in last place, and one where you can play darts with your driver. So, it's a very wacky racing game that you can play in split-screen.

Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged

As you can probably guess from a game with 'Hot Wheels' in the title, Hot Wheels Unleashed 2: Turbocharged is a racing game. The inspiration from the toy car brand is mainly felt in the game's tracks. You don't race around large stadiums filled with screaming fans, as that isn't what Hot Wheels do. So, the game's tracks are set in everyday locations, such as the backyard and an arcade.

This helps the title stand out from more traditional racing games. Of course, standing out wouldn't mean much if the game wasn't brilliant. Thankfully, the racing feels smooth and fast, and the graphics are very impressive.

Halo Infinite

Sadly, Halo Infinite doesn't allow you to play the campaign in split-screen co-op. However, there is split-screen capability in the online multiplayer modes. So, you can go online with a buddy next to you to take on other players in the world.

There are a slew of different fun modes you can play, typically about killing or capturing things. Most of them are balanced and enjoyable to play, primarily due to how satisfying combat is in the game. Plus, there are so many different vehicles and weapons to use, which keeps the multiplayer fresh and exciting.

Bang-On Balls: Chronicles

Bang-On Balls: Chronicles is a wild and wonderful game in which you control a bouncy ball. As this ball, you need to complete puzzle-platformer sections and occasionally fight enemy balls. It's a strange but unique experience.

Each level provides its own open world that is tied to a theme. For example, there is a Viking world to explore. All the worlds look beautiful and are very distinct from each other. Plus, they're fun to explore, as there is plenty to find in these places.

GoldenEye 007

When it was originally released in the late '90s, GoldenEye 007 helped popularize PvP multiplayer shooters. Yet, it wasn't like you could play online back then, so all the chaotic fun took place using local split-screen.

Many years later, the game was released on the Xbox Series X|S, meaning you can enjoy that classic FPS action on a much more powerful system. There are multiple match types to play and guns to use. It really does have a classic and simple feel to it.