Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Gaming
  3. Guides

How to play Halo Infinite split-screen

By

The Halo franchise was built with split-screen play in mind. From the very first title, with few exceptions, each game has allowed for split-screen play of two or more people in the same room to team up against each other, other players, or the AI-controlled aliens of the campaign. Halo 5 was a disappointment for fans of the series because of the lack of any kind of split-screen functionality, co-op or multiplayer, which has caused many people to wonder if the next installment, Halo Infinite, also left that feature behind.

Recommended Videos

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

5 minutes

What You Need

  • Two or more Xbox controllers

  • Two Xbox accounts

Having been released in two phases, multiplayer and then the campaign, Halo Infinite has been steadily working toward adding many features that past games had. While there are still many things on the horizon coming to this historic first-person shooter title, including Forge, we already know that split-screen is included and functional. However, it isn't quite as robust or full-featured as it has been in the classic titles — at least not yet. If you want to play some old-school Halo with a friend side by side like the old days, here's how to set up split-screen in Halo Infinite.

Two spartans holding ARs.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

How to play Halo Infinite split-screen multiplayer

We will start off with what many people will be eager to do, especially since the multiplayer section of Halo Infinite is free to play and easily accessible.

Step 1: Load up Halo Infinite on your console of choice. Make sure you're logged in to your Xbox account.

Step 2: Get to the Multiplayer menu and turn on your second controller.

Related

Step 3: Press the Menu button on the second controller.

Step 4: Sign that second controller into a different Xbox account. Guest accounts cannot play online multiplayer in Halo Infinite.

Step 5: If you're playing on an Xbox Series X or S, you can repeat this process to have a total of four players on one console. Xbox One systems can only allow two players. Also, only two players can be in split-screen when playing the Big Team Battle mode, regardless of console.

Step 6: Select your gametype and begin searching for a match.

The Master Chief with an assault rifle.
Microsoft

Can you play split-screen co-op?

No, at least not yet. Halo Infinite has delayed the launch of any type of campaign co-op until later in 2022 and will first launch as just online co-op. There's no word as to when we can expect local, split-screen co-op to be added.

Can you play split-screen multiplayer on PC?

Again, the sad answer is no. Despite Halo Infinite being fully playable on PC with full controller support, you are only able to log in to a single Xbox account, meaning no second accounts can be added to play. 343 has never mentioned adding this feature to the PC platform, so for now, we don't expect it to ever be added.

Halo Infinite is best played with friends, and while online is great, being able to play with your teammates sitting right beside you is arguably more fun. Halo built its fanbase on allowing people to come together to play, so we're glad that, at least in some way, Halo Infinite continues that tradition.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Jesse Lennox
Jesse Lennox
Jesse Lennox loves writing, games, and complaining about not having time to write and play games. He knows the names of more…
How to play with friends in Skull and Bones

Is it a pirate's life for you? If so, it won't be a very long life in Skull and Bones if you don't have a loyal crew at your back. Setting sail on the dangerous waters of this online game leaves you open to all sorts of peril that a team may otherwise avoid. While you are always in a server with up to 20 other players, you never know who those players will be, which is where forming a group comes in handy. Thanks to Skull and Bones being a crossplay game, the only limiting factor to playing with some pals is knowing how to do it, which is where we come in.
How to play with friends in Skull and Bones

Forming your crew is simple once you know where to look in Skull and Bones' menus. First, pause the game and go to the Social tab. You can see any players on your friends list on the left-hand side. You can also tab to the right to World to see a list of players currently on your server if you want to invite a new friend to your crew or check Requests if someone has asked you to join their team. You can also use the Find Group option to look for any other players who want to team up but don't have any friends playing and are open to anyone joining.

Read more
How to play Happy Friyay Party and Extreme Party in Foamstars
A lineup of Foamstars on a stage.

You have a decent selection of modes to pick from in Foamstars on any given day. You can play solo or as a team with friends in the mission modes, or fight it out with foam in the versus matches. Once you run through all the playable characters, you might start to get a little comfortable with the match types available.

That's where Happy Friyay Party and Extreme Party come in. These game types are limited-time events, meaning they only show up during specific windows of time. If you want to clean up the competition in some fresh modes, here's when you can play them.
How to play Happy Friyay

Read more
How to unlock Mel T and The Baristador in Foamstars
Characters wielding strange weapons in the streets of a bright city in the Foamstars trailer.

Loading into Foamstars, you probably know what to expect in terms of progression. Being a multiplayer-only game, you can count on live-service elements being in play; however, every game handles them differently. Yes, we do have both a free and paid battle pass here with tons of cosmetics, but what about more impactful things like characters? At launch, your roster will only have eight options, but two are locked: Mel T and The Baristador. Considering how each character plays differently, getting the entire range of options will help you decide which one you want to focus on. These two have different requirements to unlock, and one of them may not be to your liking.
How to unlock Mel T and The Baristador

Starting with The Baristador, all you need to do to unlock him is beat the challenge that asks you to hit Player Level 3. This is done by playing Missions alone or with friends or competing in the standard versus matches. Your current level is displayed on your Player Card if you're unsure how far off you are.

Read more