Valve has recently made a significant update to its family sharing options on the Steam Beta Client by introducing Steam Families. This new suite of features aims to provide users with a more streamlined and robust system for managing their family’s games, offering more control over game access and playtime for family members.
Steam Family Sharing
Under the new rules of Steam Families, users can create a Steam Family consisting of themselves and up to five additional family members. This means that all members of the family will have access to each other’s game libraries, allowing them to play supported games even if another family member is already playing. Additionally, each user will have their own saved games, achievements, and workshop file access within the family sharing system.
While not all games support Family Sharing, Valve has provided a list of supported games that users can browse. Furthermore, all supported games owned by the user and their family members will be conveniently displayed in a new ‘Steam Family’ subsection of the Steam library, making it easy to keep track of available titles.
Parental Controls
In addition to enhanced game sharing features, Steam Families also introduce new parental controls, enabling adults to set limits on their children’s gaming activities. Parents can monitor playtime, approve or deny access to specific games, control community features, friends chat, and even manage requests for additional playtime, all from the desktop or the Steam mobile app.
One of the most significant improvements in Steam Families is the ability for child accounts to request in-family adults to pay for games directly from their shopping cart. This eliminates the need for gift purchases or sharing credit card details and streamlines the process of buying games for children. Adults can easily approve or deny these requests via email or the Steam mobile app.
For users interested in trying out the Steam Families beta, the process is simple. By opening up Steam, navigating to the Settings menu, selecting Interface, and then choosing Client Beta Participation, users can opt into the Steam Family Beta. Once selected, users can start exploring the new family sharing options and parental controls available.
Overall, the launch of Steam Families represents a significant step forward in providing a more comprehensive and user-friendly family sharing experience on Steam. With improved game sharing options, enhanced parental controls, and simplified purchasing processes, Steam Families is poised to revolutionize how families interact and engage with games on the platform.
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