7 February 2026

Why Resident Evil 5 Needs a Remake

By newsgame

Capcom has long had success remaking its Resident Evil games, dating all the way back to the critically-acclaimed remake of the original game that dropped on the GameCube in 2002. Capcom took a long break from remaking Resident Evil games after that, but came back with a vengeance with the hugely popular Resident Evil 2 remake in 2019, followed by the Resident Evil 3 remake in 2020, and the Resident Evil 4 remake in 2023. There have been calls from fans for Capcom to remake Resident Evil 5, but I’ve always been puzzled by that. After all, Resident Evil 5 is one of the least popular games in the series, and it already plays like a modern RE game anyway. But I recently replayed Resident Evil 5, and now it’s clear to me that the game does indeed need a remake.

The big selling point of Resident Evil 5 is co-op. The game takes the over-the-shoulder action of Resident Evil 4 and adds a second player to the mix, with one person controlling franchise mainstay Chris Redfield and the other playing as newcomer Sheva Alomar. When Resident Evil 5 first released on Xbox 360, I had an absolute blast playing through it with my brother in split-screen co-op. We played the game to death, beating it 100% and unlocking all the campaign achievements in the process. Fast-forward to 2026, and I am marathoning the Resident Evil franchise in the lead-up to its 30th anniversary in March. I was looking forward to reliving my fond Resident Evil 5 memories in split-screen co-op, only this time playing with my wife, only to discover that Capcom has absolutely butchered the mode for the newer versions of the game that is playable on modern consoles.

The Most Underrated Resident Evil Games You Need To Play, Ranked

In such a huge franchise, it’s inevitable that some games will get overlooked — but many of these Resident Evil titles are still worth playing.

Resident Evil 5 on Modern Consoles Botches Local Co-Op

When I originally played Resident Evil 5 in 2009, I did so on a standard definition TV. That actually vastly improved the split-screen experience because playing it on an HDTV puts the action in these little boxes in an effort to preserve the game’s aspect ratio, with no option to turn it off or actually use the entire split-screen real estate. On a standard definition TV, you get to use the entire screen. I knew going in that playing on an HDTV would irritate me, but I discovered that is not the only way that the Resident Evil 5 split-screen co-op experience is way worse on modern consoles.

If you play the modern version of Resident Evil 5 that is available on PS4 and Xbox One in split-screen, the second player doesn’t get to use the shop or have their own inventory. This was not the case in the Xbox 360 version back in the day, but through my research, I’ve discovered that this baffling limitation was actually present on PS3. This completely robs the second player of getting the same sense of progression that Player 1 gets, and makes playing through the game in split-screen co-op a far less interesting prospect for all involved.

Chris and Shiva shooting enemies together - Resident Evil 5

A Resident Evil 5 remake could tackle these unfortunate split-screen co-op blunders and deliver an experience that is more in line with how it worked back in the day on the Xbox 360. It could give players the option of using the entire half of their screen in split-screen or the boxed view. It could make it so the second player gets their own inventory and can be free to manage everything on their own instead of having to share with Player 1. As it stands, playing Resident Evil 5 in split-screen co-op on modern hardware is a compromised and disappointing experience, but a remake could fix that.

What Are the Next Resident Evil Remakes?

The next Resident Evil game is going to be Resident Evil Requiem, aka Resident Evil 9, and it’s set to release on February 27. However, reliable leakers have revealed what to expect from Capcom in terms of future Resident Evil remakes as well. If the latest leaked information is to be believed, a Resident Evil: Code Veronica remake is coming in early 2027, to be followed by a Resident Evil Zero remake at some point.

After that, it’s anyone’s guess as to what Capcom might remake next. A Resident Evil 5 remake has long been assumed, considering how it’s set up by the Resident Evil 4 remake, but others have suggested that a second Resident Evil 1 remake would be worthwhile as well, so that all the remake games have the same kind of gameplay style. Whatever the case may be, here’s hoping that a Resident Evil 5 remake that fixes the local co-op options is eventually part of the plan.