To play local couch co-op in Resident Evil 2 (2019), use the Steam PC version, install the matching REFramework build, copy the mod’s reframework folder beside re2.exe, then load a save and press Start + Back on controller 2. Hold L3 + R3, or press F2, to open the co-op menu and choose Shared Screen, Fixed Camera, Split Screen, AI Companion or HUNK-y Friend Classic.
The project is listed as Local Couch Co-op (formerly HUNK’y Friend). It is a community mod for the Steam PC release of Resident Evil 2 Remake, not a feature available in the console editions. The files change regularly, so check the mod’s current Nexus files page immediately before downloading and match REFramework to your installed game build.
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What the Resident Evil 2 couch co-op mod adds
Local Couch Co-op adds a second local participant to the 2019 Resident Evil 2 remake. Depending on the selected mode, Player 2 can be another person with a controller or a computer-controlled companion. The mod supports shared-camera play, a classic fixed-camera presentation and an experimental split-screen view.
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This is a local setup rather than an online service. Both people play on the same PC and display. The mod page calls for either two controllers or a keyboard and mouse plus one controller. A single-controller setup is also possible in AI Companion mode because the computer controls Player 2.
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- Game: Resident Evil 2 (2019) for Steam on PC.
- Framework: REFramework, installed for the exact game version you run.
- Inputs: Two controllers for two human players, or keyboard and mouse plus one controller.
- Optional companion mod: RE2R Classic is required only for Fixed Camera mode.
The mod’s own listing does not claim support for PlayStation, Xbox, other console editions or non-Steam releases. REFramework supports Resident Evil 2 with DirectX 11 and DirectX 12, but that framework information does not expand the co-op mod’s stated Steam-PC requirement.
Check your game and the current files first
Confirm the edition
Open Steam and make sure the installed title is the 2019 Resident Evil 2 remake. The co-op files are not for the original 1998 game. Do not use console instructions or files intended for a different Resident Evil release.
Identify the ray-traced and non-ray-traced build
REFramework builds must match the version of Resident Evil 2 installed on your PC. The co-op files page currently directs players running the ray-traced (RT) version to REFramework nightly builds and players running the non-ray-traced (Non-RT) version to the stable REFramework v1.5.9.1 release. Check the live compatibility notes instead of relying on an old forum post: the mod is actively updated.
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Make a simple rollback copy
Before adding files, close the game and copy the original game-folder files you are about to modify to a separate backup location. This gives you a straightforward way to remove a failed install without guessing which file came from which mod. Keep the backup outside the game folder so Steam does not treat it as part of the installation.
Install REFramework
REFramework is the loader the co-op mod uses. Its non-VR installation requires only dinput8.dll; do not copy the other files from the REFramework archive for this setup unless the current REFramework instructions specifically say otherwise.
- Download the REFramework build that matches your installed Resident Evil 2 version. Use the nightly build when the co-op files page directs RT users to it; use stable v1.5.9.1 when its current instructions direct Non-RT users there.
- In Steam, open the Resident Evil 2 installation folder with the game’s local-files command. The correct folder is the one containing
re2.exe. - Extract
dinput8.dlldirectly into that folder, besidere2.exe. Do not put it in a newly created subfolder. - Leave the game closed until the co-op files have been added in the next section.
REFramework’s repository lists both DirectX 11 and DirectX 12 support for Resident Evil 2. That is a framework capability, not a promise that every combination of game branch and community mod will work indefinitely; the matching-build check remains essential.
Install Local Couch Co-op
- Download the current main Local Couch Co-op file from the mod’s Nexus files page. Read the file’s compatibility notes on the day you install it, because the project has been changing quickly.
- Extract the archive into the same folder that contains
re2.exeanddinput8.dll. - When your extraction program asks whether to merge folders, allow the mod’s
reframeworkfolder to merge with the existingreframeworkfolder. The result should be a single combined folder, not onereframeworkfolder nested inside another. - If you use a mod manager, the author says compatible managers can install the mod directly. Confirm afterward that the manager placed the files in the actual Resident Evil 2 game directory and that
dinput8.dllis still besidere2.exe.
Do not overwrite the entire game directory with an archive’s top-level wrapper folder. Open the archive first and verify its structure. The important outcome is that the loader and mod files sit in the same installation location as the executable.
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Launch the game and spawn Player 2
- Start Resident Evil 2 after both REFramework and the co-op files are installed.
- Connect the controllers, or connect one controller and leave the keyboard and mouse available if that is your chosen arrangement.
- Load a save. The documented join action is performed after a save is loaded rather than from the title screen.
- On controller 2, press Start + Back together to spawn Player 2.
- Hold L3 + R3 to open the co-op menu. On a keyboard, press F2 instead.
- Select a play mode, adjust the available options and return to the game.
If Player 2 does not appear, first check the physical controller assignment, then confirm that you loaded a save before using the join shortcut. If the menu does not appear, try F2 and check that REFramework was installed in the folder containing re2.exe.
Choose a play mode
| Mode | How it works | What to consider |
|---|---|---|
| Shared Screen | Both players use the game’s shared camera and one screen. Player 2 can aim with the right stick; an edge arrow indicates when Player 2 has moved off screen. | Use this when you want one common view without rendering two separate game views. |
| Fixed Camera | The game uses classic fixed camera angles and tank-style controls. | Requires the optional RE2R Classic mod. |
| Split Screen | Each player receives a separate half of the display, camera, HUD, crosshair and flashlight. | Experimental. The game is drawn twice, and the author warns that the frame rate will be lower. |
| AI Companion | The computer controls Player 2. A command wheel provides orders. | The mod says this mode needs only one controller. |
| HUNK-y Friend Classic | Retains the original control scheme: the D-pad selects guns, D-pad down swaps between knife and grenade, and shots go where Player 1 aims. | A companion-style option with its own fixed difficulty and a more limited control model. |
Shared Screen
Shared Screen is the least demanding way to put two human players into the same view. Both players see the same camera, while an arrow at the edge of the display helps locate Player 2 when they move outside the visible area. Player 2 can use the right stick to aim. It avoids the extra scene rendering required by Split Screen, but both players remain tied to a single camera.
Fixed Camera
Fixed Camera recreates the classic presentation with pre-set camera angles and tank-style movement. It is not included as a self-contained option: install the optional RE2R Classic mod as well. If you select Fixed Camera without that companion installed, switch back to another mode and verify the additional mod before trying again.
Split Screen
Split Screen gives each participant an independent half of the display, including a separate camera, HUD, crosshair and flashlight. It is explicitly experimental. Because the game renders two views, the author warns that you should expect a lower frame rate. No universal frame-rate number is established, so treat performance as dependent on your PC, resolution and settings rather than as a guaranteed percentage loss.
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AI Companion
AI Companion lets one person play while the computer operates Player 2. Orders are issued through a command wheel, and the mod states that only one controller is needed. This is useful when you want the companion behavior without a second human input device, but it is not the same as two-player local control.
HUNK-y Friend Classic
The Classic option keeps the original control scheme. The D-pad selects guns, D-pad down swaps the knife and grenade, and shots travel where Player 1 aims. It is designed as a simpler companion-style mode and has its own fixed difficulty. Choose it when that constrained scheme is preferable to full independent aiming.
Controls and what Player 2 can do
| Action | Input or behavior |
|---|---|
| Spawn or remove Player 2 | Press Start + Back on controller 2. |
| Open the co-op menu | Hold L3 + R3, or press F2. |
| Move in Free Aim and Split Screen | Use the left stick. |
| Aim in Free Aim and Split Screen | Use the right stick. |
| Turn in Fixed Camera | Use the right stick to turn on the spot. |
| Pick up items and perform supported actions | Player 2 can pick up items and perform listed actions such as opening doors and climbing ladders. |
| Switches and most other interactions | The author notes that these remain Player 1-only in the documented implementation. |
Control behavior depends on the selected mode. Do not assume that the independent Free Aim layout applies to Fixed Camera or HUNK-y Friend Classic. If Player 2 cannot operate a particular object, have Player 1 perform it rather than treating the behavior as a broken controller.
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The mod author recommends removing Player 2 before saving at a typewriter or loading into a new level. This is a precaution, not a claim that every save will fail with Player 2 active. To follow the documented safe routine:
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- Open the co-op menu with L3 + R3 or F2.
- Use the documented spawn/remove action on controller 2 to remove Player 2.
- Save at the typewriter or load the next level.
- After the new area is ready and the save is loaded, press Start + Back on controller 2 to bring Player 2 back.
This routine also gives you a clean point at which to change modes. Save-management behavior can change as the mod is updated, so follow any newer warning on the current files page.
Troubleshoot the common installation problems
The game starts, but no co-op menu appears
- Confirm that
dinput8.dllis directly besidere2.exe, not inside a subfolder. - Check that you installed the REFramework build for the RT or Non-RT version you actually run.
- Verify that the co-op archive’s
reframeworkfolder was merged with the existing folder instead of nested inside it. - Load a save before opening the menu, then try F2 as an alternative to holding L3 + R3.
Start + Back does nothing
- Make sure the device is recognized as controller 2 rather than controller 1.
- Connect the input devices before loading the save and retry after the save is fully active.
- Use the keyboard and mouse plus one controller arrangement if you do not have two controllers, remembering that two-human-player modes still require a second human input device.
Fixed Camera is unavailable or behaves incorrectly
Fixed Camera requires RE2R Classic. Install that optional companion mod, then restart the game and select Fixed Camera from the co-op menu. If you do not want the extra dependency, use Shared Screen, Split Screen, AI Companion or HUNK-y Friend Classic instead.
Split Screen runs poorly
The mode is experimental and renders the game twice. A lower frame rate is an expected trade-off identified by the author, not evidence that the installation is wrong. Switch to Shared Screen to avoid the second rendered view, or use another mode if the performance is unacceptable. Do not rely on an advertised universal frame-rate figure; none is established for every PC configuration.
The game becomes unstable after an update
Return to the current Local Couch Co-op files page and read its compatibility notes. Match the listed REFramework build to your RT or Non-RT game branch, then reinstall the current main file over the old mod files if the instructions call for it. Avoid mixing the older Non-RT alpha, the separate V1.3.0 classic file and the current main file unless the listing explicitly explains that combination.
Player 2 cannot operate an object
The documented limitation is that switches and most interactions remain Player 1-only, even though Player 2 can pick up items and perform actions such as opening doors and climbing ladders. Have Player 1 handle the blocked interaction and continue using Player 2 for movement, aiming and supported actions.
A practical first-session checklist
- Resident Evil 2 (2019) is installed through Steam on PC.
- You know whether your installed branch is RT or Non-RT.
- You checked the current main co-op file and its compatibility notes.
- You downloaded the corresponding REFramework build.
dinput8.dllis besidere2.exe.- The mod’s
reframeworkfolder is merged into the same game directory. - Your controllers are connected before loading a save.
- You loaded a save before pressing Start + Back on controller 2.
- You can open the menu with L3 + R3 or F2.
- You installed RE2R Classic if you intend to use Fixed Camera.
- You remove Player 2 before saving at a typewriter or loading a new level.
- You understand that Split Screen is experimental and may reduce frame rate because it renders the game twice.
What to expect from future updates
Local Couch Co-op is an actively changing community project. File names, compatibility guidance and required REFramework builds can change even when the basic installation layout remains the same. The safest update habit is to check the current Nexus files page, identify the current main file, read whether it targets RT, Non-RT or both, and then verify the matching REFramework instruction before launching.
The REFramework repository’s non-VR guidance remains straightforward: the loader is dinput8.dll in the game folder, and Resident Evil 2 is among its supported games. The co-op mod’s separate Steam-PC requirement still governs whether this particular project is appropriate for your installation.
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