The active screen plasma nitriding technique has been studied in recent years as a method to optimize surface properties in steel components, avoiding the negative effects caused in the conventional Direct Current plasma treatments. In this study, ASTM M2 high-speed tool steel samples were plasma nitrided with and without the use of the active screen, in order to compare the surface properties developed by each technique. The treatments were carried out at 500 °C, with the gas mixture of 76 vol.% N2 + 24 vol.% H2 , for 4 and 8 h. The active screen used was built with an expanded sheet of 304 stainless steel. The results were evaluated through optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and microhardness measurements. The samples were subjected to dry ball-on-flat tribological tests and the wear tracks were verified by 3D optical interferometry. The active screen use provided the formation of thinner layers, however, avoided the formation of brittle phases, resulting in the lowest wear volumes observed, up to 10 times less than the other analyzed conditions (nitrided and non-nitrided samples).