Am I subject to any disadvantages when sharing Steam games?
Like most people on Steam I have stockpiled a large library of games over the years. I recently found out that there is a Steam Family Sharing feature, which seems a great way of letting others make use of my games.
Specifically, I have a family member in the same household with their own PC and another family member in another city with their own PC. I would like to share my games without limiting my own use of my games.
Do I need to login/maintain an account on these other machines?
If someone is playing a shared game do I get locked out of my game library until they are done?
If they do something stupid like obtain a VAC ban am I subject to the same punishment?
Are there any (other?) disadvantages to myself if I share my games?
Best Answer
Asunez already posted a great answer to this question so I'll just add a few things.
You will need to log in each of the machines your relatives play on. If your relative owns multiple computers, you will have to log in on each computer your relative wants to play your games on. If you authorize only 1 computer, your relative will be able to play on that device but not any others.
You are never locked out of your own games.
Even if you play a free-to-play game from your steam library, other's will not be able to play any game from your library.
If the game also has it's own launcher that doesn't need Steam I think others can make use of your library while you are playing, but this needs confirmation.
You can not play multiplayer with your relative if you own the game, share it but your relative does not own the game.
Someone who plays a game shared by someone else will be able to earn achievements but will not earn Steam trading cards (unless they own the game themselves, of course).
I haven't encountered any disadvantages other than having to log-in and authorizing my relatives computer.
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Are there any downsides to Family Sharing Steam?
The only real con is that while they use it, you can't. As others have stated the owner can play games in offline mode while 1 other user plays the same library but has to remain online. You can even play some co-op games this way.What happens when you share Steam games?
Family Sharing allows family members to share games while keeping their accounts separate. Family and guests can play one another's games while earning their own Steam achievements and saving their own game progress to the Steam Cloud. It works by granting family members access to games on a shared computer.Can you share Steam games and play at the same time?
Two people can't play at the same moment on Steam Family Sharing. Family Sharing FAQ clearly states this: Can two users share a library and both play at the same time? No, a shared library may only be accessed by one user at a time.Can I use my Steam library while someone else is using it?
You need an internet connection to access the shared libraries. Libraries can only be shared in their entirety. Some games don't qualify for sharing because they require a subscription. Shared games can only be accessed by one person at a time, so you won't be able to easily play games together.The QUICKEST way to Share Games on Steam [2021]
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