Split screen refers to multi-player matches that take place on one screen. It was and still is a very popular form of play on game consoles, but is also available on games for the PC or home computers.

Split Screen is a variation of Hotseat, whereas the players do not actually switch places but play simultaneously on the same computer within the same match. This is particularly common for racing (e.g. Ignition) and beat em up games (e.g. Virtua Fighter 2). Today with USB keyboards it is a lot more comfortable for the players, as they do not actually need to share the very same keyboard any more. Every player can have his own keyboard. However, the key settings usually still apply, making every player use only a fraction of the keys on the keyboard (e.g. one player using WASD keys while the other uses the cursor keys). On a console, where every player has his own controller, the configurations are usually identical, as consoles can tell the inputs from different devices apart by design.

Split screen can have a profound influence on the game tactics and strategies as one player can see at any time where the other players are and what they are doing.

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