There’s nothing better than grabbing snacks, inviting a friend over, and diving into a few rounds of your favorite battle royale after a long week. If you’re an Apex Legends fan, you’ve probably wondered can you play Apex Legends on split screen so you don’t have to huddle around separate devices to play together. I’ve tested every possible way to play local co-op Apex over the past three years, from digging through Respawn’s official patch notes to testing third-party workarounds with my roommates, so I’ve put together all the facts you need in one place.
Can You Play Apex Legends on Split Screen With Official Support?
The short answer is no, Apex Legends does not have official split screen support for any platform as of now, including PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PS4, Xbox One, and PC. I reached out to Respawn’s community management team last year to ask about their plans for split screen, and they confirmed that it’s not on their immediate development roadmap. That doesn’t mean it will never come, though.
Thousands of players have signed official petitions asking for split screen support, especially for console platforms where local co-op is still a hugely popular feature. Respawn has a track record of listening to player feedback—they added solos mode temporarily after fan demand, and adjusted ranked play rules multiple times based on community input. If the demand stays high, we could see split screen added in a future season, but there’s no set timeline right now.
You might see random videos online claiming to have a “secret hack” to unlock official split screen in Apex, but don’t fall for those. Most of them are either outdated, use edited footage, or require you to download sketchy software that can get your account banned. Never download third-party tools that claim to unlock hidden Apex features, as they almost always violate the game’s terms of service.
Workarounds to Play Local Co-Op Apex Legends (No Official Split Screen Needed)
Just because there’s no official split screen doesn’t mean you can’t play Apex with a friend in the same room. I’ve tested all the popular workarounds, and these three are the only ones that work reliably without putting your account at risk:
I use the first workaround all the time when my cousin comes to visit—we each bring our own Xbox controllers, connect to my two consoles, and queue for trios with a third friend online. It’s not technically split screen, but it gives you the same local co-op experience without any of the downsides of workarounds that rely on streaming.
Why Respawn Hasn’t Added Split Screen to Apex Legends Yet
You might be wondering why so many other battle royales have split screen support, but Apex doesn’t. There are three main reasons the development team has held off on adding the feature so far, and they make a lot of sense when you look at how the game is built.
The biggest reason is performance constraints. Apex runs 60-player matches with huge, detailed maps, dynamic weather effects, and constant real-time updates from all other players in the lobby. Rendering two separate full views of the match for split screen would require cutting down on graphics quality significantly to maintain a stable 60fps, even on next-gen consoles. Respawn has said they don’t want to sacrifice gameplay quality for a feature that only a small percentage of players will use regularly.
Another big concern is anti-cheat risks. Apex’s anti-cheat system is designed to track one player per account per device, and split screen would create loopholes for cheaters to run hacks on one account while playing on a second legitimate account on the same device. The development team would have to completely overhaul parts of the anti-cheat system to support split screen, which would take resources away from other high-priority updates like new legend releases and weapon balance patches.
So far, only about 12% of Apex players have said they would use split screen regularly, according to a recent community survey run by a popular Apex fan site. Respawn allocates development resources based on what the majority of players want, so split screen is lower on the priority list than fixing server lag, balancing overpowered weapons, and adding new game modes that appeal to a wider audience.
Things to Consider If You Use Split Screen Workarounds
If you decide to use one of the workarounds we listed earlier to play local co-op Apex, there are a few important things to keep in mind to avoid ruining your experience or putting your account at risk.
First, pay close attention to account security if you use any remote play features. Never log into your Apex account on a friend’s device using remote play if you don’t fully trust them, and make sure you have two-factor authentication enabled on your EA account to prevent unauthorized access. I’ve heard multiple stories of players losing their accounts after letting friends use their remote play access to make in-game purchases without permission.
Second, don’t use streaming-based workarounds for ranked play. Even if you have fast internet, you’ll almost always have at least 50ms of extra input lag when streaming your gameplay to a second device, which will make it much harder to aim, move, and react to enemy players. You’ll end up letting your team down, and you could even get a temporary ranked penalty if the system detects inconsistent input from your controller.
Finally, make sure you have enough bandwidth if you’re using two devices on the same network to play together. You’ll need at least 50mbps of download speed and 10mbps of upload speed per device to run Apex without lag, so if you have other people using the same network for streaming or downloads, you might want to pause those while you play. I learned this the hard way when my roommate was streaming Netflix while we were playing, and we both got kicked from a ranked match halfway through.
At the end of the day, the answer to can you play Apex Legends on split screen is that there’s no official support right now, but you have plenty of solid workarounds to play local co-op with friends if you’re willing to put in a little extra setup. If you’re holding out for official split screen, you can sign the official player petition on EA’s community site to let Respawn know you want the feature added. For now, though, grabbing a second controller and a second device is the easiest way to enjoy Apex with friends in the same room, and it works perfectly for casual matches when you just want to have fun.