My housemate and I regularly play games together using a Steam Deck and a large game library, but we're running out of local co-op titles that fit our preferences. Many newer games support online multiplayer instead of split-screen, and we're willing to buy separate copies.
We'd like to move one or both gaming PCs into the lounge, or possibly add a second Steam Deck, and play on a single TV or monitor. Ideally, each of us would have our own game screen and controller, but most modern TVs don't seem to support displaying two HDMI or DisplayPort sources side by side.
Are there TVs, HDMI devices, or software solutions that can combine two separate gaming inputs into one display? Input latency and audio handling are important, and we'd also appreciate advice on options such as HDMI multiviewers, game-streaming software, or tools that add local co-op to unsupported games.
4 Answers
If you can tolerate separate screens, a small dual-monitor setup is usually simpler and more responsive than combining both sources onto one TV. Each PC or Deck can connect directly to its own monitor, avoiding multiviewer latency and complicated audio mixing. It does require more furniture and cable management, so it may not work well in a rental or a compact lounge.
An HDMI multiviewer is probably the most direct hardware solution. It combines two or more HDMI sources into one output and displays them side by side or in separate windows. Many models can show four 1080p inputs on a single 4K display, since that maps neatly to a 2x2 layout.
Be careful with cheap models, though. They can introduce noticeable latency, and the better gaming-oriented units often cost a couple hundred dollars or more. Audio also needs planning: the device may mix both sources together, so using headphones or extracting audio separately for each player may be easier.
Software may be worth trying before buying a multiviewer. Sunshine and Moonlight can stream separate PCs to compatible clients, although they don’t normally merge two independent streams into one combined session by themselves. You’d generally need a PC or other device in the lounge to receive and arrange both streams, which can add complexity and latency.
For games that can run twice on one PC, tools such as Nucleus Co-op can sometimes create local split-screen support by launching separate instances. The difficult part is assigning each controller to the correct instance, and compatibility varies from game to game, so it’s not as universal as a hardware setup.
I’ve used Sunshine and Moonlight for streaming to the Deck, but wasn’t sure whether they could combine two streams directly. Running two game instances on one PC is interesting, though controller separation would definitely be the main concern.
Some Samsung and LG televisions still include split-screen or multi-view features, although the exact input combinations and supported resolutions vary by model. It’s worth checking the manual rather than relying only on the product page, because some sets limit multi-view to specific HDMI ports or a combination of HDMI and an app.
External multiview hardware is more flexible if the TV doesn’t support it, but make sure it handles the resolution and refresh rate you want. A lot of inexpensive devices are designed for cameras or presentations rather than responsive gaming.
That sounds closest to what we need. We’ve already used most of the obvious local co-op games, so spending a few hundred on a reliable low-latency unit could still be cheaper than replacing the TV.