Why did the tide turn against split-screen gaming? The first reason, arguably, is the increasing complexity of video game graphics and engines. As the processing power of consoles like Xbox and Playstation expanded, developers could make games with more realistic environments and character models, which caused split-screen to put more strain on the console as the game tried to render a detailed world from multiple perspectives at once. Priorities of effort shifted as well: over-worked and under tight deadlines, game developers were (and are) forced to choose between making a co-op multiplayer campaign work at the potential expense of graphics, or ditching split-screen modes in order to focus on keeping their graphics up to date.