I'm interested in playing two player local co-op games (not over Xbox live), but I don't want to have to deal with sharing the screen. Me and my buddy would like to have our own seperate screen. I've never tried connecting two Xbox 360 systems together. I'm assuming you just need the right cable, a lan compatible game, and two copies of the same game. Right? What kind of cable is needed? Does one need a crossover cable? (the kind you use to FTP to a modded Xbox 1?) Or, can any ethernet cable do the trick?

Also, does anybody have any suggestions on the best co-op games that are lan compatible? Any notable games that you would think have lan capabilities that don't?

Kinda offtopic, but can you lan two PS3's together?

If you're running through a router, you just need a regular network cable. If you are connecting 360 to 360 directly, you'll need a switch or crossover cable.

As for the PS3, I don't know, but assume it would be the same way.

The easiest way would be a router with DHCP enabled, two standard network cables, two consoles, and two copies of the game.

You can use a crossover cable and skip the DHCP device, but then you need to set IP information on both consoles so that they can see each other. While a less expensive option, but takes more configuration on the console side.

I have 3 360s lanned together and a ps3 connected to two ps2s. MMB is correct on the easiest way. It is very easy to do.

I would say halo3 co op is a blast. Any game with co op gives you more options. I would also get a cheap racer. Pgr3 is under 20$. If you like to fight each other, cod4 and graw2 are great games. I would also add some old xbox co op titles: Battlefront 1/2, Doom3, Baldurs gate. Turok does not have lan and has horrible co op. The outfit has lan co op, but no saves. So you start from the beginning each time. Almost all games will list if they have system link. Co opimus has more co op details on each game. I'm looking forward to left4dead.

Note that a game must support "System Link" to allow two consoles to play with/against each other directly. If a game only supports Xbox Live play, then both consoles must be connected to Xbox Live (which is possible but usually one or both consoles will wind up with "Strict" NAT) with separate "gold" accounts.

If you're running through a router, you just need a regular network cable. If you are connecting 360 to 360 directly, you'll need a switch or crossover cable.

No need for any switch or crossover cable, the eithernet ports on the 360s auto configure, so you can just run a normal network cable between two.

No need for any switch or crossover cable, the eithernet ports on the 360s auto configure, so you can just run a normal network cable between two.

That is what I thought...

That is what I thought...

That is what I thought also...

No need for any switch or crossover cable, the eithernet ports on the 360s auto configure, so you can just run a normal network cable between two.
I did not know that.

A regular ethernet cable does not work. I thought it would but when I tried it some time ago the 360's did not recognize it. You need a cross-over cable, router, or hub.

I have 3 360s lanned together and a ps3 connected to two ps2s. MMB is correct on the easiest way. It is very easy to do.

I would say halo3 co op is a blast. Any game with co op gives you more options. I would also get a cheap racer. Pgr3 is under 20$. If you like to fight each other, cod4 and graw2 are great games. I would also add some old xbox co op titles: Battlefront 1/2, Doom3, Baldurs gate. Turok does not have lan and has horrible co op. The outfit has lan co op, but no saves. So you start from the beginning each time. Almost all games will list if they have system link. Co opimus has more co op details on each game. I'm looking forward to left4dead.

So, you typically have the 3 Xbox 360's linked together, and you and two other guys play games together like that? In a game like COD4 or Halo 3, is it basically you and two other dudes running around on the maps blasting each other? What I mean by that, is with only 3 guys running around on the map, is it kinda desolate? Do you have to basically stick to smaller maps?

On the car game, like PGR 3, can all 3 of you guys race head to head? That sounds pretty cool. I actually have 3 total Xbox 360's myself, but was just thinking of linking two of them together, but linking 3 together would probably be even cooler.

All three have xbl accounts. So we can play online against others. We can race with three cars on separate tvs as long as the game is system link and we have 3 copies. PGr3 is cheap and so is full auto. Burnout has traffic when online which I love. But doesn't have system link. SO you have to have xbl accounts and hope that ea doesn't close the server down. We love co op. But sometimes play against each other or against ai bots. 3 people on a large map sucks. Even small maps it is not that great. So we usually go online.Halo 3 has 4 person co op. Graw2 has co op missions. I have a 28" in another room, so sometimes we have 4 360s when my friend brings his over. Also sometimes 2 friends play split screen on one tv. SO we can be a 4 person halo3 team. It is fun to play in the same room.

If your 360s are connected to your router, they are already linked.

Years ago my friends and I would link up XBox's and use a simple hub to link them. We'd drop Halo 1 into each system and rock out 4v4 matches for hours on end.

A hub would work too.

A regular ethernet cable does not work. I thought it would but when I tried it some time ago the 360's did not recognize it. You need a cross-over cable, router, or hub.

I've used a regular ethernet cable before...

...and I've used a crossover cable to connect directly to a cable modem, which also worked fine thanks to the auto-deteciting on the 360. Pretty sure the functionality is even listed in the manual. Perhaps Krone just had a bad cable or some other configuration issue.

a regular ethernet cable should do the trick, nothing more. Tried it many times.

My friend has/had 4 xbox and 4 tvs. It was a blast, but his wife got mad at the woops and hollors. I guess I am loud when winning and losing.But great fun.

What are others favorite games when playing others? What are your favorite co ops?

Years ago my friends and I would link up XBox's and use a simple hub to link them. We'd drop Halo 1 into each system and rock out 4v4 matches for hours on end.

I first sank my teeth into co-op with Doom II when we p[layed using serial cables. Clunky but addicting all the same. I think my eyes still have bags under them from all of those long nights!

I prefer to play FPS games in co-op mode because it's always more fun with someone there fighting along with you. You can make fun of them if they get pwnt and listen to them sputter when you fire the final shot that beats the boss.

Favorites would have to be the Halo series right now.

I first sank my teeth into co-op with Doom II when we p[layed using serial cables. Clunky but addicting all the same. I think my eyes still have bags under them from all of those long nights!

I prefer to play FPS games in co-op mode because it's always more fun with someone there fighting along with you. You can make fun of them if they get pwnt and listen to them sputter when you fire the final shot that beats the boss.

Favorites would have to be the Halo series right now.

I prefer the GRAW, GRAW2, Vegas and Vegas2 terrorist hunts myself.

Graw2 is a blast. I'm still trying to find the right weapon combo. I want a supressed gun with a scope that has stopping power. I also love halo3 team swat or co op. I love the look of GOW but hate the no jump/ cling to wall stuff. It doesn't feel right. Wish COD 4 had co op. That is a great SP, but I don't like it online. I seem to die right at respawn so often it is not fun. We mix it up with fps and a few racers, and an occasional oldie. I still enjoy doom3 in co op. I like the tool like song and the simple scary gameplay. Mostly the stuff in hell. Big bad monsters. I wish turok co op had a t rex mission. Only 3 co op senarios and no options. It is such a letdown. I look forward to left4dead and eventually...borderlands.

No need for any switch or crossover cable, the eithernet ports on the 360s auto configure, so you can just run a normal network cable between two.

Definitely works fine, we've done this here many times to link 2 boxes together. I don't even own a crossover cable, so I know it has to be the boxes auto-sensing.

the terminology is auto MDI-MDIX. Most present day networking equipment has this capability. The days of crossover cables has pretty much come to a close.

2 360s via a LAN cable should work, but you may need to set IPs for each as there is no DHCP server. Using a router is the easiest way as that will assign each xbox an IP address.