The Best Couch Co-op Games on PS5 for Game Night

Split-screen used to be the default. Now a lot of the biggest games are online only, which is no help when your friends are sitting on the same couch. Luckily the PS5 still has a solid lineup of games built for playing together in the same room. These are the best couch co-op games on PS5, sorted by how many people you've got, with a few party picks for bigger groups.

A quick note before the list: player counts are for local play on one console. Features can change with updates, so check the game's PlayStation Store page if a specific mode matters to you. It's also worth checking the age rating on the store page before game night with younger kids.

Quick picks

Game	Players on one console	Best for
It Takes Two	2	Couples, best friends, a parent and a teen
Split Fiction	2	Players who loved It Takes Two
Overcooked! All You Can Eat	Up to 4	Chaotic family fun
Moving Out 2	Up to 4	Kids and casual players
Sackboy: A Big Adventure	Up to 4	Younger kids and families
Minecraft	Up to 4	Builders of every age
Rocket League	Up to 4	Competitive friends
Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled	Up to 4	Racing nights
Street Fighter 6	2 (head to head)	Friendly rivalries
Jackbox Party Packs	Up to 8 with phones	Big groups and non-gamers

The best 2-player couch co-op games

It Takes Two

The best two-player co-op game on PlayStation, and it isn't close. It only works with two people, and every level throws a new idea at you, so it never gets repetitive. It's great for couples, best friends or a parent playing with a teen.

Split Fiction

From the same studio as It Takes Two. Two players jump between science fiction and fantasy worlds, with a split-screen view the whole way through. If you finished It Takes Two and wanted more, this is the next one.

Cuphead

A hand-drawn, cartoon-style action game with tough boss fights. It's hard, but beating a boss together after twenty tries is one of the best feelings in co-op gaming. It's a PS4 game that plays on PS5.

LEGO Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga

A relaxed pick. Two players can drop in and out of split-screen co-op, the humor works for kids and adults, and nobody gets punished much for mistakes.

The best 4-player couch co-op games

Overcooked! All You Can Eat

Up to four players run a kitchen that keeps falling apart around them. It gets loud fast, and it's one of the best games ever made for a group that likes yelling at each other in a friendly way. All You Can Eat bundles the first two Overcooked games with extra levels.

Moving Out 2

Teams of movers carry couches, fridges and boxes through houses that get stranger as you go. It's easy to pick up, which makes it great for kids and casual players.

Sackboy: A Big Adventure

A colorful platformer for up to four players that's gentle enough for younger kids but still fun for adults. It's a good first co-op game for families.

Minecraft

Minecraft supports four-player split-screen on PlayStation. It's open-ended, so builders and explorers can both do their own thing in the same world, and it works for almost every age.

The best competitive split-screen games

Rocket League

Soccer with rocket-powered cars. Rocket League supports up to four players on one screen, it's free to play, and matches are short, which suits a group passing controllers around.

Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled

A kart racer with four-player split-screen. It's a PS4 game that runs on PS5, and it's one of the best racing picks on PlayStation for a group night.

Street Fighter 6

The fighting game for friendly rivalries. Two players go head to head, and the modern control option makes it far easier for beginners to pull off special moves.

Gang Beasts

Wobbly, floppy characters try to throw each other out of the ring. It's ridiculous and anyone can play it. It's another PS4 game that runs on PS5, and it supports up to four local players.

The best party game for big groups

Jackbox Party Packs

When you've got more people than controllers, Jackbox is the answer. Each Party Pack is a bundle of games, and everyone plays on their own phone through a web browser, so you only need one controller to start it. Most of the games handle up to eight players, which makes them perfect for mixed groups where not everyone games.

Tips for a better co-op game night

• Plug in every controller a few hours before people arrive. A dead DualSense mid-game is a real mood killer.
• Count your controllers. Most of these games need one per player.
• Pair an experienced player with a beginner on teams so nobody gets left behind.
• In competitive games, let the winner stay on for two rounds at most, then rotate so everyone gets a turn.
• Pick two or three games ahead of time. Choosing a game can somehow take longer than playing one.

When one screen isn't enough

Split-screen tops out at two to four players, and a small TV gets crowded quickly. For a bigger group, the easiest fix is more than one console. At Game City in Chamblee there are 5 PS5 stations in one room, so a whole group can play at once. You can play by the hour for $7 per player, or book the private lounge so the room is yours.

Want to keep the game night at home? Rent a PS5 from Game City for $40 a day or $120 a week. It's an easy way to run a sleepover or birthday game night without buying a console. Our sleepover ideas guide shows how to build a whole night around a game tournament.