Halo on PS5 split-screen requires PlayStation Plus AND a Microsoft account, because why not make it complicated

Buckle up, PlayStation fans, because Microsoft is about to make you jump through more hoops than a Halo ring. Halo Studios has published an extensive FAQ about the upcoming Halo: Campaign Evolved, and buried inside is a little detail that's sure to make couch co-op players groan into their controllers.

According to the FAQ, as reported by Game Informer, both players in a PS5 split-screen session will need active PlayStation Plus subscriptions AND their own Microsoft-linked accounts. Yes, you read that right - to play locally, on the same couch, on the same TV, you still need PlayStation Plus. A subscription service. For offline co-op.

Wait, it gets weirder

Here's the kicker: the FAQ also notes that having those active PlayStation Plus subscriptions will provide access to online co-op play too. So Sony's subscription is essentially the toll booth for both local AND online multiplayer on PS5. Microsoft's account requirement is just the extra spicy seasoning on this whole confusing recipe.

To be fair, the Microsoft account requirement makes a certain kind of corporate sense - they want you in their ecosystem even when you're on a rival platform. But requiring PlayStation Plus for local split-screen is a Sony-side decision that's going to sting for players who thought they could just hand a controller to their buddy and fire up the campaign.

The lore accurate Xbox-to-PlayStation experience

This is, in a way, a perfect metaphor for what it looks like when two massive platform ecosystems have to shake hands over a single game. Two accounts, two subscriptions, one very confused player two sitting on the couch just trying to shoot Covenant aliens with their friend. The old Halo LAN party spirit has never felt further away.

Still, Halo: Campaign Evolved coming to PS5 at all is a massive deal, and the Microsoft account requirement was always going to be part of that package. Just maybe warn your couch co-op partner to dust off their PlayStation Plus membership before game night - because Microsoft's Chief isn't letting anyone ride for free.