• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Introducing Steam Families

Do I need to share all of my games with my family?

By joining a family, all games are automatically shared with the other members in your family.


Parents who didn't have parental controls on their kid's accounts about to get a surprise.

Matthew Broderick GIF

In like 10 years we'll be seeing the equivalent of "found my dad's hidden porno mags he left under the mattress", but instead it will be "found my dad's vintage hentai puzzler collection when he added me to the Steam family account".
 

Topher

Identifies as young
You see though, this is already possible on console. Steam is behind in the times

Sad to see

Huh? Don't you need Xbox Live Gold for multiplayer?

edit: or what is it now? Core?
 
Last edited:

Guilty_AI

Gold Member
In like 10 years we'll be seeing the equivalent of "found my dad's hidden porno mags he left under the mattress", but instead it will be "found my dad's vintage hentai puzzler collection when he added me to the Steam family account".
i do have a hidden notebook with all my account details for gaming platforms. Should be an interesting find for my post-mortem.
 
Last edited:

Pop

Member
Huh? Don't you need Xbox Live Gold for multiplayer?

edit: or what is it now? Core?
On both Playstation and Xbox you can share games with one other person and both play the same game at the same time.

Something Steam still refuses to allow
 

Topher

Identifies as young
On both Playstation and Xbox you can share games with one other person and both play the same game at the same time.

Something Steam still refuses to allow

Yeah, but you were talking about playing games together.

But what if two people want to play the same game together...

Bummer

Also, from what I'm reading, game sharing on Xbox and PlayStation require you to actually log in using the credentials of the person who owns the game you want to play?
 
Last edited:

Guilty_AI

Gold Member
On both Playstation and Xbox you can share games with one other person and both play the same game at the same time.

Something Steam still refuses to allow
Oh, just that. It was possible for both to play at the same time if the main account went offline.

These new settings will now also allow the account being shared with to play the shared games offline too if i'm reading it right.
 

XXL

Gold Member
Yeah, but you were talking about playing games together.



Also, from what I'm reading, game sharing on Xbox and PlayStation require you to actually log in using the credentials of the person who owns the game you want to play?
Not sure about Xbox, because I only have one. But I have multiple PS5s and you can play online with the same game (single purchase) on different profiles (when setup properly).

It doesn't sound like Steam Families is letting this happen (unless I'm reading it wrong) which kind of sucks.
 
Last edited:

Pop

Member
Yeah, but you were talking about playing games together.



Also, from what I'm reading, game sharing on Xbox and PlayStation require you to actually log in using the credentials of the person who owns the game you want to play?
Yes!!! Playing the same game together at the same time with one copy of said game. Not possible with Steam sharing

Requires a one time setup of making your acc the main on your buddies console
 

Topher

Identifies as young
Not sure about Xbox, because I only have one. But I have multiple PS5s and you can play online with the same game on different profiles (when setup properly).

It doesn't sound like Steam Families is letting this happen (unless I'm reading it wrong) which kind of sucks.

Ok.....but what about if each one of those profiles have their own separate gaming library? From what I'm reading, every profile has to provide their credentials to every console to get access to that library.

I've got one console in my house, but multiple gaming PCs. Looks like I just add my son's PCs to my Steam "family" and then I see all their games and they see mine. Pretty simple.

Yes!!! Playing the same game together at the same time with one copy of said game. Not possible with Steam sharing

Requires a one time setup of making your acc the main on your buddies console

Yeah, no thanks. Steam's method is a lot simpler and playing togther online doesn't require a subscription.

But to each their own.
 
Last edited:

XXL

Gold Member
Ok.....but what about if each one of those profiles have their own separate gaming library? From what I'm reading, every profile has to provide their credentials to every console to get access to that library.

I've got one console in my house, but multiple gaming PCs. Looks like I just add my son's PCs to my Steam "family" and then I see all their games and they see mine. Pretty simple.



Yeah, no thanks. Steam's method is a lot simpler and playing togther online doesn't require a subscription.

But to each their own.
I have one console set to be my primary PS5 (I rarely use that one), the other is set to another primary but my account can access my games for any PS5 I'm logged into in my house. Any profile can play the games I own on the primary PS5 from their profile. We can play those games online together.
 

Spukc

always chasing the next thrill
Tldr..
Can i play my idle games on an other account?
Because this pissed me the fuck off.

Some games i just have running on background like a podcast.
 
Great feature, but is everyone not going just abuse this, I can see lots of devs opting out in the future.

Ps, when are they cutting their fees, 30% is ridiculous for simply listing the game, harms small devs big time.
 
Last edited:

Topher

Identifies as young
Great feature, but is everyone not going just abuse this, I can see lots of devs opting out in the future.

Who can be in a Steam Family?

While we know that families come in many shapes and sizes, Steam Families is intended for a household of up to 6 close family members.

To that end, as we monitor the usage of this feature, we may adjust the requirements for participating in a Steam Family or the number of members over time to keep usage in line with this intent.

d7q9j80-47aab1e9-bcf3-4d70-963f-63b273f18c76.jpg
 

Laptop1991

Member
I was never impressed with Steam family sharing before as you couldn't play different games at the same time when i tried it, glad they have changed that for the better, i thought it was pointless to be honest. good move Steam.
 

Phase

Member
Family Sharing enables you to play games from other family members' libraries, even if they are online playing another game. If your family library has multiple copies of a game, multiple members of the family can play that game at the same time.

praise him steve harvey GIF
Oh baby this is my in to get my brother to finally play some games on PC. I'll convert him yet!
 

Laptop1991

Member
The getting banned by your family member as well made me laugh, there's gonna be a few family fall out's over this lol, well you can pick your friend's etc, as the old saying goes and will save some money on xmas cards lol.
 

Guilty_AI

Gold Member
I was never impressed with Steam family sharing before as you couldn't play different games at the same time when i tried it, glad they have changed that for the better, i thought it was pointless to be honest. good move Steam.
It was fairly easy to circumvent it by having the main account go offline.

But yeah, its good that they made it easier without having to resort to such tricks.
 

Gamezone

Gold Member
Isn't this the kinda sharing we hoped that Microsoft would implement with the Xbox One, but didn't, because we didn't their always online? Now Valve has introduced family sharing, while keeping Steam offline mode.
 

Laptop1991

Member
It was fairly easy to circumvent it by having the main account go offline.

But yeah, its good that they made it easier without having to resort to such tricks.
Didn't know that offline trick tbh, but i only tried it once anyway and thought, nah waste of time.
 

TheStam

Member
They might make a lot of money, but we are lucky that Steam is the dominant platform on PC.

Imagine it was EA who won the launcher wars.
 

Arsic

Loves his juicy stink trail scent
SMH

I went into this topic hoping Steam would finally let me buy one.

Jokes aside, I thought Steam already had something like this.
Buy a family?

Shit you can arrange that with some lovely people trying to get into the USA via the Mexican border. Simply marry a hot Latina, smash and make kids.

Ezpz family.
 
Top Bottom