Here Are The Best (And Worst) Ways To Share Your Game Library With Friends And Family

Pros

• DRM-free games are more flexible than others.
• Games can usually be installed without the GOG Galaxy launcher.
• Useful for households that want to install DRM-free games on their owned machines.

Cons

• No official game sharing library.
• No way to give another account access to your owned games.
• DRM-free does not mean you’re automatically allowed to give your purchased games to other people.

Xbox PC

There will be two Xbox entries on this list, since the differences between family sharing on PC and console are vast. Microsoft’s Family Safety system is one of the best around for managing children’s accounts, screen time, purchases, and access to specific apps or games. However, being in the same Microsoft Family does not automatically give another account access to your owned games or Game Pass subscription. Console sharing is much more generous, which we’ll cover later. 

On Windows, PC Game Pass is associated with the subscribed Microsoft account, and the rules state that the subscription is tied to that account only. 

Pros

• Excellent parental controls.
• Microsoft Family Safety works across PC and consoles.
• PC Game Pass provides a huge library, but only for one account.
• Xbox Play Anywhere can make some games playable across both PC and Xbox.
• One Microsoft account can access its games across compatible devices.

Cons

• Microsoft Family doesn’t create a shared game library.
• PC Game Pass isn’t shared across family accounts.

PlayStation 5

Sony’s console sharing and offline play capabilities allow anyone using your PS5 console to play your games and media, even if the console is offline. Certain PS Plus benefits can also be shared across accounts. However, you can only enable it for one PS5 console at a time. This makes it efficient for sharing games with one person, whether they’re in your household or not, but not for wider library sharing with more people.

Share Play is a feature that allows you to allow a friend to virtually take over your controller, even if they’re not in the same room. It also allows them to join as a second player, even if they don’t own a copy of the game. 

Pros

• Easy to use on a shared PS5.
• Other profiles can play games purchased by the primary account holder.
• Games can be played offline where compatibility allows.

Cons

• Limited to one activated console sharing PS5 at a time.
• Less useful for families with multiple consoles.
• Share Play is useful for individual sessions, but both players require a PS Plus subscription.

Nintendo Switch 2

Nintendo has introduced one of the more interesting, yet complex, game sharing systems with the addition of Virtual Game Cards. A Nintendo account can pair two consoles for Virtual Game Cards, meaning that games loaded on to one console can be played by other users on that console. It also allows members of the same family group to lend Virtual Game Cards to each other for up to two weeks, and a maximum of three games can be loaned out at once.

GameShare, one the other hand, allows supported games to be shared with other Switch 2 consoles and, if compatible, original Switches. 

Pros

• Two consoles can be paired to exchange Virtual Game Cards.
• Other users on the same console can play loaded games.
• Family members can temporarily lend games to each other.
• Up to three Virtual Game Cards can be shared at a time.
• GameShare allows people to play supported games without everyone owning them.
• Local multiplayer is especially useful.

Cons

• Restrictive 14-day lending period.
• Games can’t be permanently added to another person’s library.
• GameShare only works with compatible games.
• The owner cannot play the game if a Virtual Game Card is loaned out.
• Managing multiple consoles can be challenging.

Xbox Series X|S

The “Home” Xbox system is one of the best examples of console game sharing. By designating another Xbox as your Home Xbox, anyone using that console can play the digital games that you own, and Game Pass content can be shared. At the same time, the purchasing account can sign into another Xbox and continue to use its own library, even if the game is in use on the Home Xbox. That means that it’s the most efficient way for two people to use one digital library across multiple consoles.

Pros

• Great for two-person sharing.
• Other users can play your digital games on the Home Xbox using their own accounts.
• Game Pass content can be shared.
• No sharing period limits.
• No family group requirements.

Cons

• You can only have one Home Xbox at a time.
• PC Game Pass sharing doesn’t work in the same way.
• In-game purchases are not usually shared.
• It isn’t a true multi-person family library, as it’s more suited to just two people.

Steam

Steam’s Family service is the best on the market when it comes to actually sharing full game libraries. You can include up to six people in your Steam Family, and each member maintains their own Steam account, saves, Achievements, and personal data. Games from Steam Family members are added to a shared family library. 

The only drawback is that two people cannot play the same game at the same time unless the family group owns more than one copy. Developers can opt out of family sharing, and some games have technical restrictions.

Steam also has Remote Play Together, which allows the owner of a compatible game to invite friends to a local multiplayer session without them needing to own the game themselves.

Pros

• Up to six family members.
• Each person keeps their own account.
• Separate saves and Achievements.
• Dedicated family library.
• You can play different shared games simultaneously.
• Not tied to one physical machine.
• Remote Play Together means not everyone needs to own certain multiplayer titles to play them.
• Includes parental controls for child accounts.

Cons

• Not every game supports family sharing.
• It’s intended for everyone living in the same house rather than long-distance friends.
• Playing the same title at the same time as a family member requires multiple copies.

Verdict

If you’re choosing a platform specifically for multiple people in the same household to have access to the same digital library, Steam is the clear winner. Steam Families doesn’t just let another person use your account; it gives them their own account, saves, Achievements, and shares the pool of games. If you’re looking for consoles and the potential for sharing from a distance, Xbox’s Home Xbox feature is particularly good for couples or small families with two consoles. 

The Switch 2 does deserve credit for being more flexible than Nintendo’s previous approach. The addition of Virtual Game Cards and GameShare are genuinely useful ways to share games, even if they still have their limitations.

PlayStation is fine for a household sharing one PS5, but it doesn’t scale well when there are multiple consoles involved. 

It’s no surprise that Steam is the most popular PC gaming launcher when you consider the limitations of other storefronts like Epic, EA, and Ubisoft. Family features and game sharing are not the same thing, although some features may be packed in together. The family settings of the aforementioned launchers are pretty well-rounded, but fall short by not allowing children to access their parents’ game libraries.