One bigger gift, chosen so it does not sit in a drawer.
By Stephen V., Founder & Editor · Last updated September 14, 2026 · How we pick
The full-price games worth it, then the gear. Every pick sat under $100 on the date stamped under its button; prices are live from Amazon and the button wins if the headline disagrees.
| # | Game | Best for | Crossplay | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Platform fighter | A Switch crowd that wants an 8-player couch brawl. | No - Switch only | $54.28 |
| 2 |  Halo: Campaign Evolved Co-op shooter campaign | Two people who want the newest big-budget split-screen campaign, on Xbox or PS5. | Online co-op only - crossplay + shared progression | $49.99 |
| 3 |  Mario Kart World Kart racer | A Switch 2 household that wants four people racing on one screen tonight. | No - Nintendo Switch 2 only | $79.99 |
| 4 |  Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment Action / musou | Two Zelda players who want a long shared campaign and only want to buy it once. | No - Switch 2 only, but GameShare needs just one copy | $58.99 |
| 5 |  LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight Co-op action-adventure | A parent and a kid, or any two people in the same room who want a long, gentle co-op. | No - local co-op only, no online co-op | $64.99 |
| # | Item | Best for | Bracket | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Xbox Wireless Controller Controller | The default second controller for a PC, and the one Windows games assume you own. | Mid-range | $51.57 |
| 2 |  PlayStation DualSense Wireless Controller Controller | The second pad a PS5 household has to buy before any split-screen game will work. | Mid-range | $74.00 |
| 3 |  HyperX Cloud III Headset | One headset that works on the PC and both consoles, for long sessions. | Mid-range | $69.99 |
| 4 |  8BitDo Ultimate 2 Wireless Controller Controller | A PC-and-Steam household that wants a modern layout without paying first-party prices. | Mid-range | $59.99 |
| 5 |  Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller Controller | Player three and four on a Switch 2, where the console is the four-player machine. | Premium | $89.00 |
| 6 |  BenQ GW2490 Monitor | The default second monitor: IPS, both video inputs, and speakers you can use for chat. | Mid-range | $99.99 |
At this budget the gift is either a brand-new full-price game or a proper piece of hardware, and the hardware is usually the better call. The reason is simple: a person who games enough to justify a hundred-dollar present has almost always already bought the new game they wanted, on launch day, because that is what wanting a game looks like. What they have not bought is the second controller, or the headset that replaces the one with the cracked headband, because those purchases are easy to put off forever. A gift is the one time somebody else makes that decision for them.
So the gear half of this page comes first in our recommendation even though the games are listed first in the table. The games are here for the specific cases where a game is right: a household that just got a Switch 2, a pair who want the newest split-screen campaign, or someone who genuinely does not buy games for themselves.
A second controller for the system they own. This is the gift that changes the most for the least. Every split-screen game on a console already works for two - it has only ever needed a second pad, never a second copy of the game - so one controller turns a shelf of single-player-looking games into a two-player library. For a PC or Xbox owner that is the Xbox Wireless Controller; for a PS5 owner it is the DualSense; for a Switch 2 household with more than two players it is the Switch 2 Pro Controller. Our second controller guide explains which pad works on which machine in detail.
HyperX Cloud III is the alternative, and the one to buy when you do not know their system: it works wired on PC, PS5 and Xbox, it has a standard headphone plug as well as USB, and it is the headset we recommend for long sessions. Being heard clearly by the people they play with improves every single session they play, which is a lot of use out of one present.
Before you buy
Controllers are platform-locked; check the box. An Xbox controller works on Xbox and PC, a DualSense on PS5 and PC, and a Switch 2 Pro Controller only on a Switch 2 - there is no universal first-party pad. If you cannot confirm the system, buy the headset or the 8BitDo Ultimate 2 (PC and phone) instead. For the games: Mario Kart World and Hyrule Warriors need a Switch 2, not the original Switch; Halo and LEGO Batman are PS5, Xbox and PC only.
Best for: A Switch crowd that wants an 8-player couch brawl.
1-8 local, online · Platform fighter
Up to eight players locally makes this the party fighter for a full room. Deep enough for veterans, button-mash-friendly for newcomers. Switch-only and online can be rough - it shines on the couch.
Facts verified via Nintendo store page.
Also a top pick in Party and Large Groups.
Best for: Two people who want the newest big-budget split-screen campaign, on Xbox or PS5.
2 split-screen on console, 4 online · Co-op shooter campaign
PlayStation's own page puts it plainly: play "the full campaign in two-player split-screen co-op (on console only), or four-player online co-op, complete with crossplay and shared progression across platforms". It landed on July 28, 2026, and it is the first Halo campaign to ship on PlayStation, which is why it is the headline split-screen release of the year. Two honest cons: the PC version gets no split-screen at all, and Halo Studios has confirmed that local split-screen on PS5 needs a separate PlayStation account for each player - though not PlayStation Plus.
Facts verified via PlayStation official game page.
Also a top pick in New Split-Screen Games and Halo: Campaign Evolved Review.
Best for: A Switch 2 household that wants four people racing on one screen tonight.
1-4 on one Switch 2, up to 24 online · Kart racer
Nintendo's own listing gives the numbers: single system 1-4, local wireless 2-8, online 2-24. Four on one Switch 2 is the highest local player count of any game on this page, and it launched alongside the console on June 5, 2025. The catch is the hardware: this is a Switch 2 exclusive, so a group still on the original Switch cannot play it at all, and it carries the highest list price here. If you already own the console it is the easiest four-player night on the list.
Facts verified via Nintendo official store page.
Also a top pick in New Split-Screen Games.
Best for: Two Zelda players who want a long shared campaign and only want to buy it once.
1-2 on one Switch 2, split-screen · Action / musou
Nintendo's page is unusually direct about both things that matter here: "Play in split-screen!" for two players on one Switch 2, and "only one person needs the game for two to play" thanks to GameShare, which also works to a second Switch 2 or an original Switch over local wireless. Released November 6, 2025. It is a musou, so the combat is deliberately repetitive crowd-clearing - if that loop does not land in the first hour it will not land in the twentieth - and split-screen halves an already busy screen.
Facts verified via Nintendo official store page.
Also a top pick in New Split-Screen Games.
Best for: A parent and a kid, or any two people in the same room who want a long, gentle co-op.
2 players, shared/split screen, local only · Co-op action-adventure
The official FAQ says you can "team up with a friend or family member through two-player local cooperative gameplay only", and confirms in the same breath that "Online co-op is not available." Steam lists it under Shared/Split Screen Co-op. It arrived May 22, 2026 on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC, with the Switch 2 version due September 18, 2026. The missing online co-op is a genuine loss and the reason it is not higher here: if your second player is not physically in the room, this is the wrong game to buy.
Facts verified via Official game FAQ.
Also a top pick in New Split-Screen Games and Gifts for Couples.
Best for: The default second controller for a PC, and the one Windows games assume you own.
Bluetooth and USB-C, for Xbox consoles, PCs, TVs and mobile; textured grip; USB-C cable included
If the second pad is going anywhere near a Windows PC, this is the one to buy. Windows treats it as the reference gamepad, so it needs no driver work and every game that shows button prompts shows the correct ones. It pairs over Bluetooth to a PC, phone or TV, and the bundled USB-C cable means it also just works wired if a battery dies mid-session.
The catch: It still runs on AA batteries out of the box - there is no built-in rechargeable pack unless you buy one separately, which is a running cost the DualSense and the 8BitDo pads do not have.
Specification and availability taken from the retailer's product listing, checked September 6, 2026. Price is live and stamped under the button.
Best for: The second pad a PS5 household has to buy before any split-screen game will work.
For PS5, PC, Mac and mobile; Midnight Black
This is the purchase several pages on this site tell you is the entire shopping list for local co-op on PS5, and it is worth being blunt about the economics: one extra pad unlocks the whole split-screen library, and split-screen has never needed a second copy of the game. It is also a rechargeable pad that works on PC, so it is not locked to the console.
The catch: It is the most expensive of the mainstream controllers here, and its headline features - adaptive triggers and haptics - mostly do not carry over to PC. If the pad is destined for a PC rather than a PS5, the Xbox controller is the cheaper and better-supported choice.
Specification and availability taken from the retailer's product listing, checked September 6, 2026. Price is live and stamped under the button.
Best for: One headset that works on the PC and both consoles, for long sessions.
Wired, for PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X|S; angled 53mm drivers; memory foam; 10mm microphone; USB-C, USB-A and 3.5mm
The upgrade worth making if you play for hours or across several machines. It carries USB-C, USB-A and 3.5mm connections, so the same headset moves between a PC, a PS5 and an Xbox without adapters, and memory foam padding is the difference between a three-hour session being fine and being a headache.
The catch: It is wired, which is the right call for reliability but means you are tethered to the desk - if you get up during a session, the headset comes with you or comes off. Wireless costs meaningfully more.
Specification and availability taken from the retailer's product listing, checked September 6, 2026. Price is live and stamped under the button.
Best for: A PC-and-Steam household that wants a modern layout without paying first-party prices.
Wireless, for PC, Apple, Steam and Android
A conventional modern controller layout aimed squarely at PC, Steam and Android, which makes it the natural alternative to an Xbox pad for people who do not own an Xbox. For couch play on a PC it covers the same ground for similar money.
The catch: This one is not listed for Nintendo Switch, unlike the Pro 2 - if you need a pad that also covers a Switch, buy the Pro 2 instead. Third-party controllers also occasionally need a button-mapping pass in Steam that a first-party pad does not.
Specification and availability taken from the retailer's product listing, checked September 6, 2026. Price is live and stamped under the button.
Best for: Player three and four on a Switch 2, where the console is the four-player machine.
Official Nintendo controller for Nintendo Switch 2
The Switch is the console most likely to have four people on one screen, and this is the pad that gets them there. It is the official option, so there is no compatibility question with first-party games or with the console's own features.
The catch: It is the most expensive controller on this page and it only does one machine. For two-player Switch games the Joy-Con you already own will do the job for free, so buy this for players three and four, not for player two.
Specification and availability taken from the retailer's product listing, checked September 6, 2026. Price is live and stamped under the button.
Best for: The default second monitor: IPS, both video inputs, and speakers you can use for chat.
24 inch, 1920x1080, 100Hz, IPS, DisplayPort and HDMI, built-in speakers, VESA mount
The one to buy if you only want to think about this once. It is IPS so it holds color off-axis, it has DisplayPort as well as HDMI so it will connect to whatever port is free, and the built-in speakers are genuinely useful on a second screen - you can push Discord audio to them and leave your headset carrying game sound.
The catch: Built-in monitor speakers are always mediocre, and 100Hz on a 1080p IPS panel is a productivity specification rather than a gaming one. If the second screen is meant to be a real gaming display, this is not the right purchase.
Specification and availability taken from the retailer's product listing, checked September 6, 2026. Price is live and stamped under the button.
A Switch household that plays in the same room. Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. Up to eight players on one console, every Nintendo character they have ever heard of, and a game that has anchored couch nights for years. It rarely discounts deeply, so waiting for a sale is not a strategy - buy it when the occasion is.
A household that just got a Switch 2. Mario Kart World, if they do not have it already - and check, because it was bundled with many consoles. Four people on one screen, twenty-four online, and the game everyone in the house will actually play. If they do have it, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Imprisonment is the two-player alternative: a long shared campaign in split-screen that only one of them needs to own, because GameShare lets the second player join from one copy.
Two people who want the newest split-screen campaign. Halo: Campaign Evolved. Two-player split-screen on Xbox and PS5, four online with crossplay, and the most recent big-budget campaign built for a couch pair. One honest warning: on Xbox and PC it is included with Game Pass, so if they subscribe, do not buy it - our Halo review covers exactly who should and should not.
A parent and a kid, or two gentle players. LEGO Batman: Legacy of the Dark Knight. Two-player local co-op, long, forgiving, and new - which matters at this budget, because it is a game they are unlikely to own yet. Local only; there is no online co-op, so it suits people in the same room.
Xbox Wireless Controller - the PC or Xbox owner. Windows treats it as the reference gamepad, so it needs no setup and every game shows the right button prompts. The catch: it runs on AA batteries out of the box, so a rechargeable pack is a sensible add-on.
DualSense - the PS5 owner. The pad several of our PS5 split-screen pages describe as the entire shopping list for local co-op, and a rechargeable controller that also works on PC. It is the priciest mainstream pad; if the gift is destined for a PC rather than a PS5, buy the Xbox controller instead.
HyperX Cloud III - anyone who plays online. Wired, so nothing to pair and no battery to die mid-session; works on PC, PS5 and Xbox. Wired also means they are tethered to the desk, which is the trade for the reliability.
8BitDo Ultimate 2 - the PC and Steam household that does not own an Xbox. A modern layout aimed at PC, Steam and Android for less than a first-party pad. Not listed for the Switch - buy the Pro 2 from the under-$50 guide if they need that.
Switch 2 Pro Controller - players three and four on a Switch 2.The Switch is the console most likely to have four people on one screen, and the Joy-Con in the box already cover two. This is the gift for the third and fourth player, not the second. It is Nintendo hardware, which was not discounted in Nintendo's 2025 holiday sale.
BenQ GW2490 - the desk gamer who plays with a Discord window open. A second monitor is the most requested upgrade we see, and this is the default: IPS, both common video inputs, and built-in speakers that can carry the chat audio. Only buy it for someone who plays at a desk, and read do you need a second monitor first if you are not sure they do.
This tier is where the Black Friday question matters most, because controllers and headsets were the two categories with the deepest, most reliable cuts last year, while Nintendo's newest games and controllers were not discounted. If the occasion is in December, the Black Friday and Cyber Monday pagehas last year's actual prices and buy-now-or-wait guidance by product type.
Who are you buying for, and what do they play on? Start there.
The sweet spot: a full game, or a piece of gear they will use every day.
They own the games. Give them the thing they keep not buying.
What actually goes on sale, what to buy now, and what to wait for. Live deals posted here in November.
The whole shopping list for local co-op is one more pad. Which one to buy.
The gear side of playing together. What to buy, and what to skip.
A second controller for the system they own - it turns every split-screen game they have into a two-player game and is the purchase most people put off. If you don't know their system, the HyperX Cloud III headset works on PC, PS5 and Xbox and is the safer buy.
Xbox Wireless Controller: Xbox and PC. DualSense: PS5 and PC. Switch 2 Pro Controller: Switch 2 only. 8BitDo Ultimate 2: PC, Steam and Android, not Switch. There is no first-party pad that works on everything, so confirm the system before buying a controller.
Only when you know they don't have it. People who game a lot buy the games they want at launch. A new game is the right gift for a household that just got a console, or for someone who genuinely doesn't buy games for themselves - otherwise gear is the safer bet.
No - both are Switch 2 games. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate are the original-Switch picks, and both also run on a Switch 2.
Historically yes - the Xbox Wireless Controller, the DualSense and the HyperX Cloud III were all cut substantially in November 2025. Nintendo's own controllers were not. Our Black Friday page has the specifics and is where live deals get posted.