Splitscreen/Legacy Console Edition

Two players playing in a splitscreen game.

Splitscreen is a console-exclusive feature that allowed up to four players to play on one screen at the same time. It was supported in the Legacy Console Edition (excluding PS Vita) on mini games and peer-to-peer online multiplayer.

Gameplay

Splitscreen requires a screen with an output of at least 720p or higher. On television screens, this can be achieved using either an HDMI or RGB component cable.

Splitscreen can be activated by connecting additional game controllers, up to 4 players can play in splitscreen at the same time. In order to trigger splitscreen, the second party must press the START button ( on Xbox 360 or on PlayStation 3) on their controller, and then select a user profile in the console where their progress is saved, whether locally or online.

The game splits the screen into multiple segments, with each segment being controlled by a player and showing their camera perspective. Each segment also shows the player's username on the top right screen. For two players splitscreen, a "2 Player Split-screen Vertical" option can be enabled in the settings to split the screen vertically. Splitscreen essentially enables a multiplayer game for a singleplayer world, where players can work together to reach certain objectives. Note that the render distance decreases with every additional player joining the multiplayer game.

On three players splitscreen, the screen layout is split into four segments, in which the fourth segment is blank.

Splitscreen can be played on online multiplayer games, such as mini games and worlds with "Online game" enabled. However, on Xbox 360, this requires all players to have Xbox Live Gold account (now called "Xbox Game Pass Core"), otherwise, they are not able to play together. Alternatively, players can play on Guest account for online splitscreen, however they must be signed on from the start. On PlayStation 3, online splitscreen is free and does not require subscription.

Local splitscreen are played on worlds without "Online game" enabled, and does not require subscription on any consoles.

Console support

Because of the resolution requirement, splitscreen cannot be played through Off-TV Play on the Wii U GamePad in the Wii U Edition. However, the Nintendo Switch Edition supported splitscreen even without a TV, purely because its screen have a higher resolution of 720p over the Wii U Gamepad's 480p screen.

The PlayStation Vita Edition is the only version of the Legacy Console Edition that do not support splitscreen. This is because Vita's native resolution is too low.

Local splitscreen

The following guide shows step by step how to set up and play a local splitscreen game.

Note: Images are from Xbox 360 Edition.

Step 1. The player selects "Play Game", chooses to either Create a New world or Load a previous world and makes sure they are using 720p video, using a Component or HDMI cable.

Step 2. Make sure to uncheck the "Online game" box.

Step 3. After entering the world, the player must press start on the controller they wish to bring into the game.

Step 4. Sign in the player using the controller.

Local splitscreen can be played with up to 4 players.

For two players, vertical/horizontal spiltscreen modes are supported and can be switched in the video options through the game settings using the main controller only.

Online splitscreen

The following guide shows step by step on how to set up and play an online splitscreen game.

Note: Images are from Xbox 360 Edition.

Step 1. Select Play game and choose to either Create a New world or Load a previous world.

Step 2. Make sure to check the "Online game" box

Step 3. The player must sign in the players they wish to join the game, Gold players can sign in and join at any time during the session, Guest players are required to sign in at the start.

Note: Further guests can now be added by signing in as a guest through the Xbox guide button prior to pressing start to join.

Step 4. If the player wishes to add further Gold account players into the game press Start on the required controller and sign in the user.

Online splitscreen can be played with up to 4 players per console and a total of 8 players per world.

History

[hide]Legacy Console Edition
Xbox 360	Xbox One	PS3	PS4	PS Vita	Wii U	Switch
1.66.0033.0	CU1	1.00	1.00		Patch 1	1.0.1	Added splitscreen.