Halo: Campaign Evolved Split-Screen Co-Op Requirements on PS5

Halo: Campaign Evolved marks the series’ first arrival on a PlayStation console, launching on PlayStation 5 alongside Xbox Series X|S and Steam. A community Q&A laid out the account requirements for solo, online co-op, and local split-screen play, and one PlayStation detail caused immediate pushback before Halo Studios stepped in to correct it.

Quick answer: Local split-screen co-op on PS5 does not require both players to hold PlayStation Plus. Halo Studios confirmed that the original Q&A line stating two active PS Plus subscriptions were needed for couch co-op was incorrect. You still need Microsoft accounts linked for progression, but offline split-screen does not sit behind PS Plus.

The PS Plus split-screen requirement that got walked back

The original community Q&A described PS5 split-screen as needing both accounts to carry an active PlayStation Plus subscription, with each linked to a Microsoft account. That wording implied two paid subscriptions just to play offline on a single console, which is unusual for local multiplayer and drew sharp criticism.

Halo Studios later clarified that the post was incorrect. Local split-screen co-op on PS5 will not require PlayStation Plus when the game launches. The walkback removes the part of the requirement that fans found hardest to accept, leaving account linking as the only meaningful step for couch co-op.

Account requirements by platform

Across every platform, a Microsoft account and Xbox Gamertag are required to play. This matches how Halo: The Master Chief Collection and Halo Infinite handle cross-platform play and cross-platform progression. The differences come down to how second players and online co-op are handled on each system.

Platform	Local split-screen	Online co-op
PlayStation 5	Both accounts linked to a Microsoft account; PS Plus not required after the correction	Active PlayStation Plus required
Xbox Series X\|S	Second player needs a unique Microsoft account; no Game Pass required	Active Xbox Game Pass required
Steam	Microsoft account link required	Microsoft account link required

Note: On both PS5 and Xbox, a second couch player still needs their own account so progression tracks correctly. The paid-subscription line only applies to online co-op, where PS Plus covers PlayStation players and Game Pass covers Xbox players.

Set up before launch

Create a Microsoft account and Xbox Gamertag for each person who will play, including any second player who joins in couch co-op. This is the account that carries cross-platform progression.

On PS5, make sure each player’s PSN account is linked to a Microsoft account ahead of time. Doing this before release avoids setup delays when you first sit down to play.

Confirm a PlayStation Plus subscription only if you plan to play online co-op. Local split-screen does not depend on it. On Xbox, a Game Pass subscription is likewise needed only for online co-op, not couch play.

You will know the setup worked when each account signs in with its linked Microsoft account and your progress appears tied to that Gamertag rather than starting fresh on a different platform.

When Halo: Campaign Evolved releases

The game is due in July on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Steam. No exact day-and-time release has been confirmed, so the safest move is to have every player’s Microsoft account ready before then. With the PS Plus correction in place, two PlayStation players can drop into couch co-op without each holding a paid subscription, leaving account linking as the only box to check.