Family sharing is really nowhere near what it is on Xbox...

[Orb]

I'm all for PCMR but jeez, two accounts can't play games at the same time?!

I thought it was that you couldn't play the same game at the same time which I thought was bad but somewhat acceptable. This is pathetic, on Xbox I can share almost every game I purchase in my household and play at the same time (even the same game!).

I doubt things are going to change since I saw posts dating way back on this, wish I had read them earlier...

[Ogami]

Because Family Share on Steam is meant for different users in the same household that are using the SAME PC.
So that for example siblings can play each others games when they are on the PC.

Its not meant to be used by different people on different PC at the same time.
This was the ONLY Family Share system the different publishers on Steam agreed to.
A system like on console would be WAY too open to abuse on PC and sadly just not realistic.


Btw, you can circumvent the Family Share system a bit by setting the account that shares its games to offline and playing that way. Then another account who gets the games shared can play at the same time.
Works only with games that can be played offline of course.

[ezwip]

On Xbox you pay to use your own internet.

[Dr.Shadowds 🐉]

If you're seeking to get unlimited sharing same time, you're looking for DRM free games. Visit GoG for that.

There is work around for family share on Steam, the person that you're sharing with, just need to drop the internet connection when they start the game, or you just run Steam in offline mode, which won't interfere with them as you be offline.

[Ogami]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Dr.Shadowds 🐉:

If you're seeking to get unlimited sharing same time, you're looking for DRM free games. Visit GoG for that.

There is work around for family share on Steam, the person that you're sharing with, just need to drop the internet connection when they start the game, or you just run Steam in offline mode, which won't interfere with them as you be offline.

The second does not work.
If you drop Internet connection you trigger the 5 minute timeout if you are playing a shared game.
The one who gets the game shared cant go offline only the one who owns the game.

[ReBoot]

Regard Steam family sharing as a family XBox, not a family shelf of games with everybody having an own XBox.

[Dr.Shadowds 🐉]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Ogami:

Początkowo opublikowane przez Dr.Shadowds 🐉:

If you're seeking to get unlimited sharing same time, you're looking for DRM free games. Visit GoG for that.

There is work around for family share on Steam, the person that you're sharing with, just need to drop the internet connection when they start the game, or you just run Steam in offline mode, which won't interfere with them as you be offline.

The second does not work.
If you drop Internet connection you trigger the 5 minute timeout if you are playing a shared game.
The one who gets the game shared cant go offline only the one who owns the game.

You sure? I just tested it out on two games, even waited 10 minutes to double check if it a delay thing before counter, but nothing appar, and this is on a whole another system tested it on. Do you know which games that for sure that will pop up soon you disconnect network?

[Kargor]

The thing is, Steam needed something that's an easy sell to publishers, or it wouldn't have gone anywhere.

The family share, useless as it may be, is functionally the same as account sharing when it comes to the ability to play the games. Thus, Steam only has to explain that the new family sharing does not, in fact, introduce any relevant changes and won't reduce sales.

[Orb]

Początkowo opublikowane przez ezwip:

On Xbox you pay to use your own internet.

Yeah I can see how paying a one time $70 fee is way more expensive than purchasing all games twice. Thanks for the input...

[Chelle]

Indeed. I did have it sorted for a while and then it just stopped working..Pain in the backside.

[Orb]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Ogami:

Because Family Share on Steam is meant for different users in the same household that are using the SAME PC.
So that for example siblings can play each others games when they are on the PC.

Its not meant to be used by different people on different PC at the same time.
This was the ONLY Family Share system the different publishers on Steam agreed to.
A system like on console would be WAY too open to abuse on PC and sadly just not realistic.


Btw, you can circumvent the Family Share system a bit by setting the account that shares its games to offline and playing that way. Then another account who gets the games shared can play at the same time.
Works only with games that can be played offline of course.

Yeah I realize now that's what it was designed for but I'm just disappointed at how poorly it compares to it. Now I'm honestly thinking of going back to consoles which really sucks...

I'll give it a try, thanks for the help.

[Count_Dandyman]

Xbox gives more freedom and leeway on sharing because it can be and is so easily limited on the hardware level.

With PCs its easier to spoof and bypass those limitations unless Valve move into a level of invasiveness and control over systems that they are unwilling to and that Microsoft would be very quick to push back against them for.

[nullable]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Orb:

Początkowo opublikowane przez Ogami:

Because Family Share on Steam is meant for different users in the same household that are using the SAME PC.
So that for example siblings can play each others games when they are on the PC.

Its not meant to be used by different people on different PC at the same time.
This was the ONLY Family Share system the different publishers on Steam agreed to.
A system like on console would be WAY too open to abuse on PC and sadly just not realistic.


Btw, you can circumvent the Family Share system a bit by setting the account that shares its games to offline and playing that way. Then another account who gets the games shared can play at the same time.
Works only with games that can be played offline of course.

Yeah I realize now that's what it was designed for but I'm just disappointed at how poorly it compares to it. Now I'm honestly thinking of going back to consoles which really sucks...

I'll give it a try, thanks for the help.

Well naturally they're different platforms and have pros and cons between them. I mean if consoles "really suck" maybe you just need to adjust your behaviors to accommodate reality?

[Abüzer Kömürcü]

nice try

[Orb]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Brockenstein:

Początkowo opublikowane przez Orb:

Yeah I realize now that's what it was designed for but I'm just disappointed at how poorly it compares to it. Now I'm honestly thinking of going back to consoles which really sucks...

I'll give it a try, thanks for the help.

Well naturally they're different platforms and have pros and cons between them. I mean if consoles "really suck" maybe you just need to adjust your behaviors to accommodate reality?

I didn't mean consoles suck, I meant it sucked to consider going back to them lol

[Orb]

Początkowo opublikowane przez Count_Dandyman:

Xbox gives more freedom and leeway on sharing because it can be and is so easily limited on the hardware level.

With PCs its easier to spoof and bypass those limitations unless Valve move into a level of invasiveness and control over systems that they are unwilling to and that Microsoft would be very quick to push back against them for.

Yeah that's the reason for switching back to PC after a few years of console, I just didn't expect Steam's family sharing not to be as competitive as something offered on consoles.