Hack 30. Change Split Screen View

Switch between vertical and horizontal split screen mode.

Some people find the split screen display to be disorienting. If this is a problem for you, you might want to try altering the presentation mode. The multiplayer split screen type is determined by the video settings on the Xbox dashboard. To adjust this setting, start your Xbox without a DVD in the drive. From the main menu, choose Settings and then Video. For horizontal split screen, the Xbox must be in normal mode (see Figure 4-1). For vertical split screen, the Xbox must be in widescreen mode (see Figure 4-2).

Try both settings and see which works best for your television or display. The reason that the widescreen setting controls the orientation of the split screen is that most people with wide screens prefer the vertical split. However, you can try it out and decide for yourself.

Figure 4-1. Horizontal split

Figure 4-2. Vertical split