Batman Arkham City local split-screen: BmSDK, the mod folder and player two
ItsOOGWAY · PC guides & recorded tests
Batman Arkham City local split-screen: BmSDK, the mod folder and player two
How to play Batman Arkham City co-op on PC with the local split-screen mod. This walkthrough covers the BmSDK installer, the exact mod folder, adding player two, controller assignment and the launch errors encountered during setup—followed by my own Batman and Catwoman split-screen gameplay.
The key checkpoint: Install BmSDK into the actual game installation, put the complete mod inside BmGame/Mods and connect controllers before adding player two with G.
Before you start
- Use the recorded versions and the supported inputs listed in the original notes below.
- Compare the last successful checkpoint before choosing a fix.
- Keep original files, relevant logs and a known working setup when testing changes.
Resources from this video
Links, downloads & documentation
Every original URL from the video description is collected here, including recorded releases, setup discussions and related videos. Use the version-specific notes when following a recorded build.
Watch the complete video
Open this video on YouTube ↗. Screenshots below link to their exact recorded moments.
Walkthrough 01
Arkham City split-screen gameplay
Batman: Arkham City, with two characters on the same screen, each with their own camera. If you have wanted to revisit this game with someone sitting next to you, this mod gives you a way to try exactly that. I got the split-screen setup running, but there are two places where it is easy to go wrong: selecting the game folder, and putting the mod inside the right folder. I will show both, then the button that brings in player two, and the gameplay result.
This is the PC version of Arkham City with a community-made local split-screen mod.
Walkthrough 02
What you need
You will need your own installed copy of the game. The BmSDK project currently lists Steam and Epic as supported. Start by launching the unmodified game once, and back up your save before adding mods. There are two downloads. BmSDK is the framework that lets the game load the mod. The split-screen download adds the second player. Both official project links will be in the description. Let's get the split-screen files first.
Walkthrough 03
Download the split-screen mod
Open the SplitScreenMod GitHub page, click Code, and choose Download ZIP. Save it somewhere easy to find. We will extract it in a moment, but first we need the framework installed into the game. Open the Arkham City BmSDK release page.
Walkthrough 04
Download BmSDK for Arkham City
In this recording I used version zero point twenty-one point zero. Under Assets, download the BmSDK AC installer executable. Use the installer for Arkham City; BmSDK also has a separate project for Arkham Knight. Run the installer and select your Arkham City installation.
Walkthrough 05
Install BmSDK and choose the right folder
If it finds your Steam or Epic copy automatically, select that entry. Otherwise, use Choose another folder and browse to it yourself. This is the first detail to get right. Select the game root: the folder that contains Binaries and BmGame together. Do not select Binaries itself, and do not stop at an outer folder that only contains another game folder. I selected that outer folder on my first attempt, and the installer rejected it.
The message tells us what it needs: the folder containing Binaries and BmGame. Going one level further into the actual installation gives it the right location. Once the correct installation appears in the list, select it and click Install. Wait for the success message, then close the installer. You do not need Visual Studio just to follow this installer-based setup; the development instructions on the page are for people creating mods. Now extract the split-screen ZIP.
Walkthrough 06
Extract and install SplitScreenMod
Windows can add an extra outer folder during extraction, so open it and find the folder that directly contains mod dot toml and the scripts folder. Those two items are the useful check here. Open your game folder, then BmGame, then Mods. Copy the complete SplitScreenMod-main folder into Mods. If you need to create the Mods folder, create it directly inside BmGame. Check the result before launching. Inside BmGame, open Mods, then SplitScreenMod-main. You should see mod dot toml and scripts there, without another SplitScreenMod-main folder in between.
Keep the mod together rather than scattering its files across the game directory. Before we add the second player, there is a launch problem worth separating from the mod setup.
Walkthrough 07
XINPUT1_3.dll and DirectX launch errors
My earlier attempts showed a missing XInput one underscore three DLL, and the launcher also reported a missing Microsoft DirectX Direct3D assembly. These are legacy DirectX dependency messages, rather than a request to download the split-screen ZIP again. For those missing-component errors, install Microsoft's official DirectX End-User Runtime, which includes legacy XInput and Managed DirectX components. The official download link is in the description. This is the runtime package to use, rather than downloading individual DLLs from another website.
After the dependencies are available, try the launcher again. Once the game launches, connect your controllers before adding the extra player.
Walkthrough 08
Controller setup and player two
There is one important detail in the mod's instructions: the first controller belongs to player one, even when player one is also using the keyboard and mouse. Player two needs the second controller. One controller plus a keyboard does not automatically make that controller player two. At the game's menu, press G to add a player. You should see the display split into two views. If you need to remove a player, the shortcut is O.
For the first test, keep it to two players and check that each controller moves the intended character. If pressing G does nothing, first check that BmSDK is installed in the actual game installation.
Walkthrough 09
If G does not add a player
Then check that the complete mod folder is directly inside BmGame, then Mods. The mod documentation also suggests trying Batman AC directly from Binaries, then Win32, if starting through Steam does not respond to the keys. Now start or load your game.
Walkthrough 10
Two-character gameplay test
Here is the result from my recording: Catwoman in one view and Batman in the other, sharing the same fight. Watch the two cameras as the characters move. That is the point of the setup: both views stay visible on one display. This is still a developing community mod, so for a first session use a backed-up save and let player one handle story interactions.
Walkthrough 11
Story interactions and recovery controls
If progression gets stuck, the project documents checkpoint restart and teleport shortcuts. T brings the players to player one, and Y brings them to player two. Keep those instructions nearby while testing. For the first working setup, leave the layout at its default. If you later want side-by-side instead of top-and-bottom, the mod documents the layout option inside mod dot toml. Get the controls working first, then adjust the presentation. That is the full route: install BmSDK into the correct game folder, place the complete split-screen mod inside BmGame's Mods folder, connect the controllers, and press G at the menu.
Walkthrough 12
Setup recap and community
The useful test is not just seeing two screens; it is checking that both players can control their own character. If you are trying this and want to compare setups, share your results or get help from other people testing community projects, join my Discord through the link below. We are building a place to test these projects together. And if this helped you revisit Arkham City with a friend, let me know which characters you picked.
If your result differs
| Situation | Next useful check |
|---|---|
| The process stops at a different checkpoint | Record the exact message, current build and last successful stage. Compare that stage with the matching video section. |
| A setting is selected but the result differs | Repeat the same scene and change one option at a time. A menu target does not establish measured performance. |
| A newer release changes the interface | Check the linked release notes and instructions. This companion preserves the recorded route and its limitations. |
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