Steam Family Sharing is a fantastic feature that allows you to share your vast library of games with your loved ones. It’s like lending a physical game disc to a friend, but in the digital realm. With this feature, you can grant access to your game collection to up to five people, without them having to purchase the games themselves.
Getting Started with Steam Family Sharing
Setting up Steam Family Sharing is a breeze. First, make sure you have Steam installed on your computer. If you don’t have it yet, head over to the official Steam website and download the client. Once you have Steam up and running, follow these simple steps:
- Open Steam and log in to your account.
- Click on the “Steam” menu in the top left corner and select “Settings”.
- In the Settings window, navigate to the “Family” tab.
- Click on the “Authorize Library Sharing on this Computer” checkbox.
- Now, select the accounts you want to authorize for sharing your games.
- Click on the “OK” button to save your settings.
That’s it! You’ve successfully set up Steam Family Sharing on your computer. Next, let’s see how your loved ones can access and enjoy your game library.
Accessing Shared Games
Once you’ve authorized someone to access your game library, they can start enjoying your games on their own computer. Here’s how they can do it:
- Make sure they have Steam installed on their computer.
- Ask them to log in to their own Steam account.
- In the Steam client, they should click on the “Steam” menu and select “Settings”.
- Navigate to the “Family” tab.
- They will see a list of authorized accounts. They need to select your account.
- Once they’ve selected your account, they can browse and play your shared games.
Now your loved ones can dive into your game collection and experience the thrill of playing your favorite titles.
Things to Keep in Mind
While Steam Family Sharing is a wonderful feature, there are a few important things to keep in mind:
- Only one person can play shared games at a time. If you start playing a game while someone else is already playing, they will be given a few minutes to save and quit.
- Some games may not be eligible for sharing due to licensing restrictions. However, the majority of games in your library should be available for sharing.
- Shared games cannot be played simultaneously on different accounts. Each game can only be accessed by one person at a time.
- If you decide to revoke access to your game library for a particular account, make sure to unauthorize it in the Family tab of the Steam settings.
Steam Family Sharing is a fantastic way to spread the joy of gaming among your friends and family. By following the simple steps outlined in this guide, you can easily set up and enjoy this feature. So, gather your loved ones, authorize their accounts, and let the gaming adventures begin!
