Steam Families Is Available Now, Lets You And Five People Merge Your Game Libraries Into One--Here's How

As a seasoned gamer who has spent countless hours huddled around a screen, sharing the joys and frustrations of virtual worlds with friends and family, I can wholeheartedly say that the latest update to Steam Family Sharing is a game-changer. The ability to link multiple accounts and share games without the hassle of one person being offline is a godsend. It’s like having our very own LAN party, but across the globe!


Steam has recently revamped its previous Steam Family Sharing scheme and introduced Steam Families, an advanced version for sharing games across various accounts, which is accessible immediately.

With Steam Families, as many as six individuals can interconnect their accounts, granting each user rights to all the games within every linked account. Contrasting the initial Steam Family Sharing system (introduced in 2013), multiple users can now play games from a family member’s library simultaneously without the owner having to log off first.

Each individual user will have their separate save files and Steam achievements. To enjoy the same game simultaneously, multiple users linked under one Steam Family must each possess a copy of the game. When both copies of the same game are accessible through combined accounts, any two family members can then play together.

Individuals considering the formation of a Steam Family should take some time to plan it out. Leaving a Steam family once you’ve joined isn’t impossible, but there are certain restrictions: you’ll have to wait for a year before you can join another one, and the spot in the family you left will also be vacant for a year before someone else can take it. The owner of the Steam Family has the power to remove any members they find unwelcome. It’s also important to note that if someone playing on your account gets banned from a game, the developer of that game may also ban the entire Steam Family, so encourage good behavior among all family members.

The revised Steam Families package offers an array of Parental Control options, enabling parents to:

To establish a Steam Family, first navigate to your account details on Steam. Within that area, look for the Family Management section. Here, you’ll find the option to “Create a New Family.” Invite others to join by entering their email addresses, and decide whether they will be designated as Adult or Child accounts. The invited individuals must accept the invitation to officially become part of your Steam Family.

Note from Valve: Not every game is compatible with Family Sharing, as it’s up to the developers to decide whether they want to participate in this program. Games that necessitate subscriptions generally cannot be shared across different accounts.

In a recent blog post, Valve mentions that they aim for numerous games to be playable through Family Sharing. However, they acknowledge that certain games may encounter unique situations where this feature isn’t practical or beneficial for users. Developers who have such reservations can contact Valve for assistance in exploring alternatives and finding suitable solutions via the partner support page.

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2024-09-12 20:38