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Minecraft Split-Screen: How to Set Up Local Play on Console

Set up Minecraft Bedrock split-screen on a supported console, check controller and account requirements, and troubleshoot common join problems.

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Minecraft split-screen works as local play in Bedrock Edition on a supported console: start a world on one console and have each local player use a controller. This guide covers Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and 5, and Xbox One and Series X|S—not Java Edition on PC.

Check the edition, console, and controllers

Before starting, make sure you have Minecraft Bedrock Edition on a supported console and a compatible controller for each person playing locally. Minecraft Help lists Bedrock for Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation; Java Edition is listed for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Multiplayer requires players to use matching editions, so a Java Edition player cannot join a Bedrock game as though the editions were interchangeable.

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Update Minecraft to the current version before troubleshooting. Minecraft Help says multiplayer participants need current, matching versions. The official requirements surfaced for split-screen do not establish a universal player limit or a single join-button prompt, so follow the on-screen instructions for your console rather than relying on a button sequence that may differ.

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Meet the requirements for your console

Console Setup details When an online subscription may be needed
Nintendo Switch The console must be docked and connected to a TV or monitor. The surfaced Minecraft Help requirements say the host signs in with a Microsoft account, guests cannot sign in to Microsoft accounts, and every player needs a controller. The requirements page surfaced in Portuguese and was marked AI-translated, so confirm current on-screen account prompts. Nintendo Switch Online is tied to whether multiplayer is enabled in the world.
PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5 The surfaced requirements say the host must sign in with a Microsoft account and each player needs a controller. PlayStation Plus is tied to whether multiplayer is enabled in the world.
Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S The surfaced requirements say the host signs in with an account; guests may also sign in to Microsoft accounts. Each player needs a controller. Xbox Game Pass Core is tied to whether multiplayer is enabled in the world.

These subscription conditions concern the split-screen requirements. For online console multiplayer more generally, the relevant platform service may be required. Check the platform’s current account and service requirements for your region.

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Start a local split-screen session

  1. Connect controllers. Pair or plug in a compatible controller for every local player, following your console’s controller setup steps.
  2. Open Minecraft Bedrock Edition. Use the supported console version of the game and let any update finish before entering a world.
  3. Sign in as the host. Use the account required by your console’s current Minecraft prompts. The split-screen requirements specify Microsoft account sign-in for the host.
  4. Launch or create a world. Start a world on the console that will host the session.
  5. Check the world’s Multiplayer setting. Whether multiplayer is enabled affects the subscription conditions described for the console. Choose the setting that matches whether the session will also involve online multiplayer.
  6. Have additional players join using the console prompts. Minecraft Help’s surfaced requirements do not specify one join button for every console or a universal player cap. Use the prompt shown in-game after the world loads.

If a second player cannot join

  • Confirm edition and version. Everyone must use a compatible, matching edition and current game version. Bedrock and Java multiplayer do not work together as matching editions.
  • Check the controller. Make sure the additional controller is connected to the console and recognized before attempting to join.
  • Review account and multiplayer permissions. Check the host sign-in and the console account’s multiplayer settings. On Switch, the surfaced requirements distinguish the host’s Microsoft account from guests, who cannot sign into Microsoft accounts.
  • Check the world’s Multiplayer setting and subscription. If multiplayer is enabled, confirm the relevant console online service and account permissions meet current requirements.
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Split-screen and LAN are different ways to play locally

Split-screen means multiple people play on one console and share its display, with a controller for each local player. Bedrock LAN play instead connects separate compatible devices over the same local network. Minecraft Help says LAN players need the same network, compatible devices and current versions, and the host’s world-visibility settings must allow others to find the world. Use the LAN setup when players are on separate devices; it is not the same setup as adding a player to the same console.

Sources: Minecraft Help’s split-screen requirements; Minecraft multiplayer requirements; Bedrock LAN instructions; Minecraft edition information.

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