Developers at BlueTwelve Studio did not anticipate a cooperative multiplayer mode, but players quickly found a way to enable it through a community change. This guide explains how to download the multiplayer mod and play Stray with friends on a shared screen.
Stray guides
- Full guide through Stray. Discover all collectibles, badges, and reminders
- How to collect all musical notes in Stray and earn the Meow Lodia achievement
- Collectibles in Stray — how to obtain every badge, memory, and unlock rare achievements
- Co-op in Stray: how to play on the same screen with friends and other players
Note: downloading files from unverified sources can harm the device. This guide uses direct links to a trusted source— Nexus Mods.
How the change works
By following the steps below, PC players can enable split screen on their computer. It is important to note that online multiplayer is not available with this method. To activate local co op, additional files must be downloaded and placed in the correct folders. PlayStation consoles cannot install the modification due to their closed system design.
How to Install Splitscreen Mod and Activate Multiplayer
This section provides step by step instructions for installing the change. Following each step will enable a co op game.
Open the Nexus Mods page for the Splitscreen modification. Access to the download requires site authorization or registration, otherwise download access remains blocked.
Click the Files tab and use the Download manually buttons in the corresponding windows for the split screen file and the Required split screen configuration file.
On the pages that open, choose the slow download option. There is no need to purchase premium or use fast download. Both files are small, around 13 kilobytes, and download quickly even on slow connections.
After downloading, extract the archives and place the files in the game’s root folder. Steam users can locate Stray in their library, right click, choose Properties, then Local Files, and click Browse to reach the correct folder.
In the Stray game files folder, navigate to stray/hk_project/content/paks and place SplitScreenRequiredConfig_P.pak there.
Create a folder named Logical Mods and place SplitScreenMod.pak inside it.
Use the link for an automatic download of UnrealModLoader and extract the files to a convenient location.
Open the UnrealModLoader folder and run UnrealEngineModLauncher. Start Stray.
From the main menu, press F9 on the keyboard. The screen splits into two displays — the upper area shows the main image, while the lower area presents the main menu on a dark background.
When F9 is pressed again, additional players can be added, though there are limitations and bugs. See the next section for more details.
Limitations and Errors. How to avoid problems when starting the change
First, the mod creator did not complete a full split screen run through the game, so there is no guarantee of flawless operation throughout an entire playthrough. If errors occur, restart the game and load the most recent save without adding extra users.
Key considerations for the split screen modification include:
- Additional users are activated with the F9 key on the keyboard.
- In co op mode, only the session creator sees the HUD, so other players explore the world without the creator’s interface.
- In rare cases, transitions to new levels may cause players to get stuck. Reload the save and rejoin with others.
- Stray is not built for split screen, so occasional visual glitches may appear.
- Adding more than one player is risky; there is no official confirmation of stable operation for three or more users.
- The camera can lose focus on the main player. If this happens, saving again and restarting the game often helps. The mod author is aware and works on fixes.
- Using F9 outside the main menu can cause fatal errors and a full game crash. Exit Stray, restart UnrealEngineModLauncher, and reopen the game.
Be prepared for other bugs — the modification is still in development.
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