Introducing Steam Families: Share Your Digital Games with Loved Ones
One of the most frustrating aspects of owning digital games is the inability to easily share them with family members. However, Valve has come up with a solution to this problem with the introduction of Steam Families, Steam’s newest feature.
What is Steam Families?
Steam Families allows you to share your entire library of games with up to six members of your family. This means that your loved ones can now have access to a wide variety of games without the need to purchase them individually. Even better, you can play a game while someone else in your family is already online, which was not possible with the previous ‘family’ systems – Steam Family Sharing and Steam Family View. The new Steam Families feature, currently in beta, will replace both of these older systems.
Considerations for Sharing Games
While Steam Families presents an appealing solution to saving money, there are certain factors to keep in mind. Firstly, you will not be able to play the same game simultaneously with another member of your Steam family unless you both own separate copies. In such cases, family members will need to take turns playing the game.
Additionally, once you have joined a family, you are required to wait a full year before creating or joining another family. This means that you won’t be able to switch between collections easily. Lastly, it’s important to note that not all games will be compatible with the Steam Families feature, as developers have the option to opt in or out.
Despite these limitations, Steam Families remains an excellent way for families to share their digital game collection. If you’d like to give it a try, the beta version is now available. It is expected that Valve will make improvements and adjustments to the feature based on feedback during the beta testing phase. Nevertheless, there’s no reason not to explore Steam Families today and enjoy gaming together with your loved ones.