In launch-week split-screen testing, Halo: Campaign Evolved runs at a stable 30 FPS on Xbox Series X and an unstable, much blurrier 30 FPS-ish on Xbox Series S, with Performance and Quality modes appearing to make no practical difference in couch co-op.
If you are choosing a console for couch co-op, Xbox Series X is the clear pick. Xbox Series S can still get two players through the campaign, but the tradeoff is obvious: softer image quality, rougher frame pacing, and UI elements that are harder to read during combat.
- Xbox Series X vs Series S split-screen verdict
- The Silent Cartographer test route
- Xbox Series S split-screen frame rate
- Xbox Series X split-screen frame rate
- Image quality and HUD readability in split-screen
- Split-screen player count and setup limits
- Series X 60 FPS split-screen reports
- Frequently Asked Questions
Xbox Series X vs Series S split-screen verdict
| Xbox version | Split-screen result |
|---|---|
| Xbox Series X | Stable 30 FPS in both Performance and Quality modes, with cleaner image quality and readable HUD elements. |
| Xbox Series S | Roughly 30 FPS with dips to 28 FPS, uneven frame pacing, and visibly reduced clarity. |
The short version: is simple: Series X feels like the proper couch co-op machine for Halo: Campaign Evolved, while Series S is the compromise version. If you are sensitive to blur, small frame drops, or hard-to-read weapon icons, the Series S split-screen mode is the one to be careful with.
The Silent Cartographer test route
The split-screen comparison used the opening portion of The Silent Cartographer, an outdoor mission segment with repeatable combat, open sightlines, and multiple AI enemies active at once. That makes it a useful launch-build test area because both consoles are being pushed by more than a quiet corridor or menu scene.
It is not a full-game benchmark. Later campaign spaces, especially heavier combat areas, may put more pressure on the frame rate than this controlled beach and interior route, so these numbers should be read as a launch-week snapshot of a repeatable section rather than a guarantee for every encounter.
Xbox Series S split-screen frame rate
On Xbox Series S Performance mode, split-screen does not reach the expected 60 FPS target. It instead hovers around a 30 FPS ceiling and shows dips to 28 FPS, with frame pacing that is visibly less even than the Series X run.
Those 28 FPS drops are not disastrous by themselves, but they matter because they happen in a controlled early mission segment. In busier areas, the same behavior could become more noticeable, especially with two players turning, firing, and triggering effects at the same time.
KEY!Quality mode does not solve the Series S problem. In the tested footage, it does not produce a meaningful visual upgrade, and it shows the same kind of 30 FPS-ish behavior with drops in similar places, so changing the preset before split-screen play does not meaningfully improve the experience on Series S.
Xbox Series X split-screen frame rate
On Xbox Series X, Performance and Quality modes behave the same in split-screen during the tested route: both hold a solid 30 FPS cap with stable frame times. The important difference from Series S is not the headline number, but how cleanly Series X holds it.
The console appears to have headroom beyond 30 FPS in this scenario, but that is not a measured higher frame-rate result. What matters for players right now is that Series X couch co-op is much steadier than Series S, even though both graphics presets land at the same visible cap in this launch-build test.
Image quality and HUD readability in split-screen
| Area | What changes |
|---|---|
| Resolution clarity | Series X looks sharper; Series S looks much softer and more scaled down. |
| Weapon icons | Series X icons are easier to read; Series S icons look pixelated and muddy. |
| Particle effects | Series X keeps more detail in flashes and explosions; Series S effects break up more visibly. |
| UI readability | Series X is more comfortable from a couch distance; Series S needs more tolerance for blur. |
| Overall comfort | Series X is the better long-session split-screen choice; Series S is playable but compromised. |
The biggest practical gap between the consoles is visual clarity. Xbox Series S looks heavily scaled down in split-screen, with pixelated effects and weapon icons that become difficult to read at a glance. The exact internal resolution is not measured here, but the image appears lower than 1080p in the raw split-screen view.
KEY!For two-player couch co-op, Series X is the recommendation. Series S can work if you just want local Halo and can live with the softer image, but the combination of blur, pixelated HUD elements, and small dips makes it the weaker split-screen version by a wide margin.
Set Graphics Mode to Performance before starting split-screen, then restart the game if stutter appears after using Quick Resume.
Split-screen player count and setup limits
Halo: Campaign Evolved supports 2-player local split-screen on Xbox Series X|S. The up to 4-player co-op limit applies to online co-op, not four players on one console.
To start couch co-op, connect a second controller from the main menu and have Player 2 join with a profile. Player 2 can open a limited settings menu for controls and accessibility options, but cannot change certain options such as Graphics Mode, so Player 1 should set the preferred graphics preset before the session begins.
The local layout is horizontal split-screen, with the two views stacked as top and bottom halves. That is the setup to expect when playing on a single Xbox with two controllers.
Series X 60 FPS split-screen reports
There is one important launch-week conflict to keep straight: some player-facing specs and guides describe Xbox Series X Performance mode as targeting 60 FPS, but early couch co-op testing and several player reports show or describe a 30 FPS cap in split-screen. Solo play and online performance claims should not be mixed with the local two-player result.
For now, treat 30 FPS on Series X split-screen as the behavior to plan around. Before starting a session, set Graphics Mode to Performance, enable VRR on your display if available, restart the game instead of relying on Quick Resume if frame pacing feels off, and check for launch-window patches that may change split-screen behavior.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Halo: Campaign Evolved split-screen run at 60 FPS on Xbox Series X?
In the tested couch co-op run, no. Xbox Series X split-screen held a stable 30 FPS in both Performance and Quality modes, even though some launch-week material describes Performance mode as a 60 FPS target.
Is Xbox Series S split-screen playable?
Yes, but it is the compromised version. Expect a roughly 30 FPS experience with dips to 28 FPS, lower clarity, blurrier HUD elements, and less comfortable long-session readability.
Should I choose Performance or Quality mode for split-screen?
Choose Performance before starting, mainly because it is the sensible default for stability. In the tested split-screen footage, though, Performance and Quality did not show a meaningful difference on either Xbox Series X or Series S.
Does Halo: Campaign Evolved support 4-player split-screen?
No. Local split-screen is capped at 2 players on console. The 4-player option is for online co-op.
Can I use vertical split-screen instead of horizontal split-screen?
No vertical layout option is shown for the current console split-screen setup. Couch co-op uses horizontal split-screen, with one player on the top half and the other on the bottom half.
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