Is it possible to have 2 different windows running the same game?

[MrTomnus]

This is a thought I just had out of the blue. I don't own a PC yet (should have one in a week ) and I just got thinking - if you can have a bajillion Chrome windows (or the classic is the Claculator) running different tabs on your PC, would it be possible to do the same with a game? For example, something like Far Cry 3 or Portal 2. Let's assume for argument's sake that the hardware is capable of running two games at the same time. Or perhaps that is the problem - I don't know. It would be cool if you could set up an internal network of some kind and have a "local" online session, perfect for if you don't have more than one PC around.

 

Anyone got any ideas?

 

 

[itsMacyyyy]

Yes it is possible, but as you said you need hardware powerful enough to render two copies of the game and two screens ofcourse. 

[MatheusSanzo]

I don't know if i didn't understood what you mean or if you didn't made yourself clear enough.

[Vitalius]

I use VM's to basically do this for older games and emulators. You need the VM to separate the Multiple Mouse/Keyboard inputs that you would need to have two people play the same game. 

Although I think doing that with Steam is basically piracy? I mean, you aren't paying for the second copy you are basically using. 

Although, again, with Family Sharing, I think that's also acceptable if it's local. Basically saying you can share your games with other people at home. So someone else playing the same game as you isn't the bad part.

However, Family Sharing doesn't let two people play at the same time. So it's still effectively piracy to do that.

That's why I only do it with older games and emulators. Things that are either free, I own multiple of, or whatever.

Do note that VirtualBox doesn't have direct access to your hardware, so running anything intensive in it isn't gonna happen. Hyper-V does, however. 

[tobben]

perhaps it could be done through a virtual machine, im not sure how good games are at dividig resources... they were probably not designed with that in mind.

[das affe]

there is a software to log in with many different users to play or work on one pc. but i don't remember the name at the moment sorry

[MrTomnus]

perhaps it could be done through a virtual machine, im not sure how good games are at dividig resources... they were probably not designed with that in mind.

 

 

I use VM's to basically do this for older games and emulators. You need the VM to separate the Multiple Mouse/Keyboard inputs that you would need to have two people play the same game. 

Although I think doing that with Steam is basically piracy? I mean, you aren't paying for the second copy you are basically using. 

Although, again, with Family Sharing, I think that's also acceptable if it's local. Basically saying you can share your games with other people at home. So someone else playing the same game as you isn't the bad part.

However, Family Sharing doesn't let two people play at the same time. So it's still effectively piracy to do that.

That's why I only do it with older games and emulators. Things that are either free, I own multiple of, or whatever.

Do note that VirtualBox doesn't have direct access to your hardware, so running anything intensive in it isn't gonna happen. Hyper-V does, however. 

 

 

Yes it is possible, but as you said you need hardware powerful enough to render two copies of the game and two screens ofcourse. 

 

 

there is a software to log in with many different users to play or work on one pc. but i don't remember the name at the moment sorry

 

Thank you everyone, I forgot about using a virtual machine. I suppose that would be the only way then?

[Vitalius]

Thank you everyone, I forgot about using a virtual machine. I suppose that would be the only way then?

Unless you want to use a different type of interface (i.e. a gamepad or other peripheral), then yeah. 

Having two keyboards/mice connected a computer without some form of separation means that they will interfere with one another. Plus, you can't have fullscreen on both for obvious reasons (Windows only lets you have one program as a focus). 

There are programs for multi-user input on the same computer that give you two cursors (or more), but they are either undeveloped or cost real money.

[Guest]

You could use a software to split up your PC in 2 instances, then use 2 monitors, install windows on 1 instance, than another at another instance, but it is really not worth it, because your computer is gonna get real slow, since you are splitting it in 2 instances and launching the game on both, and i don't need to say your heat and noise levels will increase. But lets say, a game uses 2 cores, like powerful cores, lets say those on i7 3930k, lets say you have dual of those cpu's, so you have 24 cores and could launch 12 instances of the game, the game would probably use 4 gigs of ram, 12*4 is 48, so you would need 48 gigs of ram, but if you have dual cpu's you would probably support another few gigs of ram to make it 64, which would use up for lets say lan party servers and online session apps. So yes, it could work, and people could just really bring monitors to LAN parties, that would be cool....

[Pounds]

Didn't this thing used to be pretty popular with World of Warcraft years back? "Multi-boxing" or something like that? The person could have 4 WoW accounts all open and playing at once, controlled all through 1 computer, so they could move all 4 characters at once with his keyboard and mouse. Made for interesting PvP'ing, considering the person could attack someone with 4 Shamans at once, for example.

 

I know this is beyond what Mr Tomnus is asking, but it made me remember people doing this is WoW.

[LogicalDrm]

Most games that I have seen don't allow multiple instances. Then there are apparently exception like WoW (@Pounds). And when you use something like Steam to handle gameaccounts... Steam doens't allow multiple logins to one account as is.