How to Play Fortnite Split Screen on PS5, PS4 and Xbox

Online parties are great, but sometimes your duo partner is sitting right next to you. Fortnite's split-screen mode lets two players drop into the same match on one console and one TV. It is a little picky about platforms and modes, though, so here is exactly how it works and how to set it up.

What You Need Before You Start

• A PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One or Xbox Series X/S. Split screen is a console-only feature — PC, Nintendo Switch, Android and iOS cannot use it.
• Two controllers, both charged and connected.
• Two separate accounts. Each player signs in with their own console profile and Epic account, and each plays on their own locker. There is no sharing skins or items between the two players.

One performance note: split screen disables 120 FPS mode on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S, capping both players at 60 FPS while it is active. Rendering two viewpoints at once is heavy work, so the trade-off is fair.

Which Modes Support Split Screen?

Split screen works in the core playlists: Battle Royale and Zero Build in Duos or Squads, plus LEGO Fortnite. Many Creative maps support it too, although the map's creator has to allow it. It does not work in Ranked, and fast playlists such as Reload and Blitz Royale are excluded. Also worth knowing: you will only see the split view once the match begins. The lobby, menus and locker stay as a single shared screen controlled by player one.

Step-by-Step: Starting a Split-Screen Match

1. Launch Fortnite on your PlayStation or Xbox and head into a Duos or Squads lobby as player one.
2. Turn on the second controller and press the PlayStation or Xbox button to wake it.
3. Choose the second player's profile and sign in to it on the console.
4. Back in the Fortnite lobby, a prompt appears for player two. Hold the P2 Log In button — X on a PlayStation controller, A on an Xbox controller.
5. Player two appears in the lobby next to you. Ready up, and when the match loads the screen divides so you each get your own view.

How the Screen Is Divided

When the match starts, the display splits horizontally, with player one's view on top and player two's below. Each half is a complete, independent Fortnite view — separate health bars, inventories, maps and building controls — because you are effectively playing two full game sessions on one console. Menus do not split: the lobby, item shop and locker remain a single screen driven by player one, which is why both players should sort their loadouts before readying up. Progress is fully individual too. Both accounts earn their own XP, complete their own quests and level their own Battle Passes from the same shared matches.

Tips for a Better Couch Session

Sit closer to the TV than you think — each player effectively gets half a screen, so distant details like a player on a far hillside get small fast. If one of you is on a fresh account, expect gentler lobbies while the account is new, which makes split screen a genuinely good way to teach a friend the game. And if player two wants to keep their progress, make sure they are signed into their real Epic-linked profile rather than a guest, so XP and quest progress save to their account.