Two gamers, one PC: each with their own screen, keyboard and mouse.
Yes, two gamers can play on one PC at the same time, each on their own screen with their own keyboard and mouse, and each in their own game. Hydra Multi-Seat is multiseat software that makes it work: each player gets a separate Windows session and a full screen instead of half of one.
Why Hydra beats split-screen
Split-screen gives each person part of one screen on one shared desktop, and only for games built for it. With multiseat, each player has a whole screen and a whole Windows account. Your games, launchers and saves are your own, and the other player's are theirs.
What each player gets
- Their own screen, or several, plugged into the PC.
- Their own keyboard and mouse, and their own game controller if they like.
- Their own sound: a headset or speakers per seat, with the usual Windows volume slider changing only that seat. Or share one pair of speakers, with one side for each player.
- Their own Windows account, so games and saves stay separate.
- Their own copy of any program, even one that normally allows only one copy at a time: that check is kept separate for each seat.
Nothing is streamed. Every screen runs straight from the PC's graphics card, and the seats share that one card.
What you need
- Windows 10 and 11 (x64).
- A graphics card from NVIDIA, AMD or Intel.
- For each person, a screen, a keyboard and a mouse.
- Game controllers, headsets and webcams work too: give each seat its own.
You don't need a second graphics card or a second PC. Run your own games on your own PC in the 7-day free trial and see for yourself.
Setting it up in three steps
- Install Hydra on your PC and plug in a screen, keyboard and mouse for each player.
- In the panel, give each seat its screen, keyboard, mouse and sound.
- Each player signs in to their own Windows account and starts their own game.
Ready to play? Start the free 7-day trial, every feature included, and one license covers every seat.
Each player signs in to their own Steam account: see two Steam accounts on one PC. Want to play the same game together? Read couch co-op on PC with separate screens. The full set-up walk-through is in two monitors, keyboards and mice for two users.
Questions people ask
Can two people game on one PC at the same time?
Yes. With Hydra Multi-Seat each player gets their own screen, keyboard, mouse, sound and Windows account on the same PC, so they can play at the same time.
Can we play different games?
Yes. Everyone runs whatever they like on their own desktop.
Is it split-screen?
No. Each player gets a whole PC with a full screen of their own. Nothing to set up per game, and it works for everything else you do on a PC too.
Does it need a powerful PC?
It depends on what you run. Office work and videos need little, but two demanding games share your PC's processor, graphics card and memory, so a stronger PC gives more headroom. The free trial lets you see it on your own PC.
Can each player use a game controller?
Yes. Give each seat its own game controller.
Try Hydra Multi-Seat on your own PC.
Every feature is free for 7 days. After that you pay monthly, yearly, or once for a lifetime license at the launch price. One license covers every seat on the PC, so you never pay per seat. The pricing page shows the prices in your currency.
DownloadMore to read
- Why Hydra: what each seat gets, and how it differs from the other ways to share a PC
- Pricing: monthly, 1-year and lifetime, with the free trial
- Questions: what a PC needs, and what to expect
- Safety: how it keeps your PC safe, and how to turn it off
- Two people, one PC at the same time
- Two Steam accounts on one PC at the same time
- What is multiseat on Windows?
- Two monitors, keyboards and mice for two users on one PC
- One PC for the whole family
- Share one PC with your partner
- All guides
Last updated 1 November 2026.