How to set up Modern Warfare 2 splitscreen mode

Modern Warfare 2 splitscreen is the classic way to play the shooter with a friend sat on the couch next to you, without the hassle of setting up two machines and two televisions. Having split screen available is an increasingly rare option these days so it's refreshing to see it in Modern Warfare 2, however you can only use it for certain game modes and access to it is restricted exclusively to consoles, so if you're playing on PC then we're afraid you're going to be flying solo.

Modern Warfare 2 splitscreen is reasonably simple to set up, by connecting a second controller or a keyboard and mouse to your console, but you will need an online account linked to Activision for the other person which may put off casual players. There are also only a limited number of modes you can use this for, so don't expect to team up locally and play the entire game together. For details of how to get it running and what modes are available, here's everything you need to know about Modern Warfare 2 splitscreen.

How to use Modern Warfare 2 splitscreen

From the main menu on consoles, you'll see a prompt in the top right corner of the screen to start Modern Warfare 2 splitscreen by connecting a second controller or a keyboard and mouse, and once you've done that you'll be shown the button to press for Player 2 to join split screen. Note that the second player will need to log in to their own PSN/XBL account and a linked Activision account in order to play, though you can at least set up a new Activision account from within the game if needed. Once logged in, you'll see icons for both players in the top right corner of the screen, then you can start any of the game modes compatible with Modern Warfare 2 splitscreen – we've got more on that below.

What modes are available in Modern Warfare 2 splitscreen

Not all game modes are available in Modern Warfare 2 splitscreen, so you can't use this to access the Campaign or, frustratingly, the Cooperative missions. On the Multiplayer side, you can't play Free-For-All, Ground War, or Invasion in split screen, so if you try to start any of those you'll get a warning screen saying it's not supported and you must remove Player 2 to play. However, the following Multiplayer modes can be played in splitscreen:

• Team Deathmatch
• Domination
• Search And Destroy
• Headquarters
• Kill Confirmed
• Hardpoint
• Prisoner Rescue
• Knock Out
• 3rd Person Moshpit

Note that if you're jumping into Quick Play Multiplayer, you'll need to set the filter to exclude Free-For-All before you start matchmaking in Modern Warfare 2 splitscreen, otherwise you'll get a warning message and won't be able to search for a match without removing Player 2 or leaving the party and playing solo. You can also create a Private Match in various game modes, and add bots through Game Setup to customize the experience to your preferences.