Valve has rolled out its new Steam Families feature, which is now accessible to all users after a beta introduction earlier this year. With Steam Families, parents can share games within their families, set parental controls for their children, and authorize their children’s requests to purchase Steam games.
A significant upgrade in Steam Families compared to Valve’s previous Family Sharing system is the ability for multiple individuals to play games from a shared library simultaneously. This means that if I’m playing Balatro, and my partner, who is part of my Steam Family, wants to play Arranger, we can both play these games concurrently. However, if my partner wishes to play Balatro while I’m already playing it, she will need to purchase an additional copy. Additionally, Steam Families allow for offline gameplay of shared games.
Valve specifies that Steam Families are meant to encompass immediate family members and can include “up to 6 close family members.” Each member of a Steam Family will have their own saved games and earn their individual achievements. Adults are able to exit a Steam Family at any point, but if they choose to do so, they must wait a year before starting or joining a new Family. Children can only be removed from a Steam Family by an adult or with assistance from Steam support.
In a video, Valve mentions that the older Family Sharing function will eventually be phased out, so if you have been utilizing that feature, it is advisable to transition to Steam Families.
To begin using Steam Families, users can update their Steam client. The latest Steam client update also includes several other enhancements, such as a revamped screenshot manager.
