iRacing Arcade features local couch multiplayer for up to four racers on the same display. Developed by Original Fire Games and published by iRacing, the title added four-player split screen alongside its console debut and as a free update for PC players.
The split-screen option allows head-to-head racing with friends and family using connected gamepads, providing a pick-up-and-play racing alternative to the studio's hardcore PC simulation service.
How to Start Split Screen in iRacing Arcade
Local multiplayer does not appear as a standalone option named "Split Screen" on the top-level start screen. Players access couch competition through the custom race menu.
- Connect up to four controllers to your PC or console before opening the match settings.
- Select Free Play from the main menu.
- Have each participant press an input button on their respective controller to register as an active player.
- Select your preferred vehicle class and livery for each active slot.
- Choose the circuit, environment layout, lap length, and collision rules.
- Confirm the race setup to load onto the starting grid.
When two drivers compete, the display defaults to a vertical split orientation. With three or four players, the monitor splits into a four-quadrant grid.
Race Settings and Customization Options
Free Play grants access to extensive custom rule toggles that shape local split-screen events:
- Car Collisions: Players can toggle vehicle contact on or off. Turning collisions off ghosts vehicles through each other, removing aggressive contact and turn-one pileups.
- Track Layouts: Circuits can be run in standard direction, reverse orientation, or mirrored variants.
- Lap Counts: Sprint lengths can be adjusted from short two-lap shootouts to longer endurance stints.
- Penalty Enforcement: Corner cutting and track limit violations apply speed penalties by default, but host settings permit toggling standard motorsport rules.
- Tire and Fuel Strategy: Longer race configurations bring fuel consumption and tire degradation into play, requiring drivers to time their pit stops.
Split screen is purely competitive versus racing. Career mode, driver hiring, and the Motorsport Campus management system remain strictly single-player features.
Platform Support and Performance
The split-screen feature is available across current-generation releases of the game.
| Platform | Split-Screen Support | Player Capacity | Target Framerate |
|---|---|---|---|
| PC (Steam / Steam Deck) | Yes (Free August 21 patch) | Up to 4 players | Hardware dependent |
| PlayStation 5 | Yes (Included at launch) | Up to 4 players | 60 FPS |
| Xbox Series X | S | Yes (Included at launch) | Up to 4 players | 60 FPS |
| PlayStation 4 / Xbox One | No (No console release) | N/A | N/A |
On PC, rendering four simultaneous viewports increases system demand. If you encounter frame drops while driving near grandstands or busy chicanes in four-player mode, lowering background detail or shadow presets in the graphics options resolves the stutter. On Steam Deck, the game holds Verified status and supports dock play with external controllers.
Vehicles and Tracks Available in Local Multiplayer
Every vehicle class and circuit unlocked in your profile is selectable in Free Play local sessions. The roster combines lightweight open-wheelers, heavy commercial trucks, and touring builds.
Car Classes
- Open Wheel: Formula Junior, FIA Formula 4, Formula GP, Formula Fangio (1960s classic), Formula Turbo (1980s turbo era)
- Sports & GT: Caterham, Porsche 911 GT3 Cup, LMP2, GTP
- Production & Touring: Fiat 500, Touring Car, Mercedes 190 E DTM
- Heavyweight: Big Rig (Euro Truck category)
Real-World and Fictional Circuits
Local races run across compact recreations of global circuits, including Autodromo Nazionale Monza (both modern Grand Prix and banked Historic Oval layouts), Circuito de Jerez, Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours, Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, Imola, Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, Knockhill, Barber Motorsports Park, and Miami International Autodrome. Fictional courses include Maple Ridge and Sugar Hill.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you play iRacing Arcade career mode in split screen?
No. Career mode is restricted to single-player. You cannot manage a team cooperatively or run calendar seasons with a second local driver.
Does PC support four-player split screen?
Yes. While initially announced around the console edition, the four-player local split-screen feature arrived on PC via a free content patch and is accessed through Free Play.
Can you play split screen online against other players?
No. Split screen is limited to local offline competition on a single machine. Online lobbies support up to 12 individual players across PC and consoles via crossplay, but each online participant requires an independent device.
Can you change the two-player screen divide to horizontal?
No. The two-player layout defaults strictly to a vertical split, with no in-game menu toggle currently available to switch to a horizontal horizontal split-screen view.
