Today, Steam launches Steam Families, an overhaul of its family sharing system. The new system removes limits on how many people can play a game in a library, makes it easier for your kids to purchase games, and adds new parental controls and sharing options.
Previously, if you wanted to share your library but limit the games your kids could play, you needed to use two different systems – Family Sharing and Family View. Also under the old method, only one person at a time could play a game from another person’s pool.Now – using the example of Steam – if you are playing your copy Portal 2 Someone else wants to play half life From your library, no problem.They only start when you start Portal 2 When they play it from your music library. That’s right – they can neither have your cake nor eat it too. (I hope this Portal Reference is satisfactory. )
You’ll need to join the beta program to try it out, which you can do by accessing Settings > Interface > Client Beta Participation and selecting “Steam Family Beta.” Then, to create a family, go to the Store page, click on your account, then click Account Details > Family Management > Create Family.
Accounts can share a library with five other family members, just like before, but there’s no mention of a limit on the number of devices you can authorize. (Previously the limit was 10.) Offline play is now supported as well, whereas the previous sharing scheme required you to play games in other people’s libraries online.
Being a parent gets easier too, not least because you can now manage your child’s access to specific games, monitor their playtime and set time-based limits. You no longer have to go through the tedious process of buying gift cards or handing over your credit card to buy games for your kids – you simply approve their game request and your account is charged for it.
But be warned: the new system is region-locked, so if you’ve been sharing with someone in another country, you may not be able to continue doing so. If someone leaves your household, they cannot join or start another household for an entire year.
Steam says developers must approve their games for family sharing, while other games, such as free games or games that require third-party keys, accounts or subscriptions, cannot be shared.
