Many PC players’ hopes of playing Diablo 4 with friends on the couch have been dashed with recent news of the multiplayer feature being restricted to the console. There are many reasons why the PC couch Co-Op feature has gone missing, and if you want to know more, then keep reading.
Below, we’ll take a look at exactly why the multiplayer feature will not be available on the PC port of Diablo 4, as well as what it means for the future of the game. So without further delay, let’s get into it.
Update on 18 July 2023: We've updated this article with the latest info on couch-co-op in Diablo 4.
Diablo 4 PC Couch Co-Op Missing? Why The MP Feature is Not Available
During a recent interview, the general manager for Diablo, Rod Fergusson confirmed that the couch Co-Op mode will not be present on the PC version of Diablo 4, and instead will be exclusive for console players. There are a few reasons for this exclusion, and below we’ll be taking a look at a few of them presented by the developers at Blizzard.
The first one is a simple technology issue with creating the port, as mentioned by Fergusson in his interview. “It’s a technology question,” Fergusson explained. “Trying to do shared-screen co-op on PC is much more challenging when it comes to account management and how you play together.”
So essentially, the technology to make a co-op couch mode for Diablo 4 does not exist at all, and the focus has likely been putting on streamlining the console co-op experience. This is especially because the technology for co-op on console is already well established and simply required a polish for Diablo 4.
The co-op capabilities for Diablo 4 on console were also prioritized more because there are far more players doing co-op on the couch sessions using their consoles, versus those sitting at a desk together and playing. “When you prioritize the problems you have to solve, solving for two people sitting at a desk, playing on the same PC, is a lower priority when the majority of couch co-op that’s going to happen is going to be in front of a sixty-five-inch TV,” as Fergusson stated.
So based on everything we know above, it’s unlikely that a co-op setting for the PC port of Diablo 4 is coming any time soon, though while it is unfortunate, the game still offers tons of enjoyment by being able to play with friends online.