Steam has officially launched its new Steam Families feature, an upgrade from the previous Family Sharing system. With Steam Families, you can share your game library with up to 5 additional users (6 members in total), manage parental controls, and approve game purchase requests.
Steam Families was released to all users following a beta launch earlier this year. The new feature brings significant improvements over the old Family Sharing system, including the ability for multiple users to play different games from the shared library simultaneously. However, not all games will be available for sharing through Steam Families; some titles may have restrictions set by the game developers, so availability can vary.
For example, one family member can play “Call of Duty Ghosts” while another plays “Just Cause 2” at the same time. However, if two members want to play the same game concurrently, a separate copy must be purchased. Additionally, shared games can now be played offline, and each family member maintains their own save files and achievements, providing a personalized gaming experience.
Valve has indicated that the old Family Sharing feature will eventually be retired, so users are encouraged to transition to Steam Families to continue enjoying these benefits.
How to know if the Game supports Steam Family
To check if a game supports Steam Family sharing, open the game on Steam and look for “Family Sharing” in the game’s details section. If it’s listed, the game can be shared with your family.
Setting Up Your Steam Family
To begin using Steam Families, make sure your Steam client is updated to the latest version. The new Steam Families feature is available to all users, and setting it up is straightforward:
Open Your Steam Account Settings: Start by logging into your Steam account on your desktop or laptop. Click on your profile in the top-right corner and navigate to Store Preferences.
Navigate to ‘Family’: In the settings menu, look for the Family Management tab. Here, you will see the option to create a Steam Family. Click on Create a Family to begin the setup.
Invite Family Members: After setting up a family, you can invite up to five family members from your Steam friends list to join. Select friends who you want to include in your family and send them invitations. They will receive a notification to accept the invitation and join your Steam Family.
Manage Game Sharing and Parental Controls: Once the family is set up, you can control which games in your library are shared with your family members. Simply select the games you want to share, and they will be available for other members to download and play. Additionally, you can set parental controls to restrict access to certain games based on age or content.
Approve Game Purchase Requests: Family members can request to purchase games from the Steam store. As the family manager, you will receive notifications for these requests and can approve or deny them directly from your account. This feature is especially useful for parents who want to control spending and game access for their children.
Understand Membership Limits and Changes: A Steam Family can include up to six members in total (including yourself). Adults can leave the family at any time but must wait a year before creating or joining a new one. Children can only be removed by an adult or through Steam support.
You can watch the Valve announcements regarding the Steam Families below:
