Can two people use the same Steam account on Reddit?

The short answer is yes, you can use the same Steam account across multiple devices and users. However, simultaneous gameplay is restricted so gaming together requires some workarounds. Let‘s dig into the details fellow gamers need to know.

Steam‘s Rules on Account Sharing

First, Steam‘s subscriber agreement states that each account should only be used by one person. So while you can share accounts, it does violate Steam‘s intended rules.

According to redditor u/CoffeeJelly:

Yup!, you can run steam on as many computers as you like, what you can‘t do is play games on both at the same time. Only one can be actively playing a game, if they‘re logged in to the same account.

So Steam does not outright ban account sharing, but you‘ll run into limitations (which we‘ll cover next)…

Limits of Simultaneous Gameplay

The biggest limitation is that only one user can actively play games at the same time when sharing an account.

Steam does allow you to access your games across many devices, just not simultaneously as redditor u/osgamers explains:

Each Steam account library can only run games on one computer at a time, but the library can be used on all the computers you own or share it with.

So if you and your friend want to squad up in an online multiplayer game, account sharing won‘t work. You‘d need separate game copies and accounts for simulataneous play.

Making Use of Offline Mode Workarounds

What about playing singleplayer games together without buying two copies? This is where Steam‘s offline mode can help.

According to u/Coffee_Jelly:

If a game requires you to be online, only one of the people sharing the account can play at a time. In an offline mode, although you can play simultaneously, one of the people sharing the account must be connected to the internet so that the most recent data gets saved onto the game.

So for offline games, you can both play at the same time on the shared account. But connectivity requirements means only one active player for games requiring online access.

Offline modes aren‘t a perfect solution for account sharers, but provide more flexibility.

Steam Account Sharing Statistics & Data

How common is Steam account sharing versus having separate accounts? Let‘s examine recent usage data:

As you can see, over 19 million Steam accounts now share access with Family Sharing. And those shared libraries allow access to 98 additional games on average!

So while single shared accounts are certainly used, separate accounts with library sharing provide far more gaming flexibility.

Remote Play Opens Up More Shared Account Potential

An exciting Steam account sharing option is Remote Play Together. This feature allows anyone (even without a Steam account) to join your game remotely!

As Valve explains:

Just like Remote Play Anywhere – all the person joining the game needs is a device, the Steam Link App, and an internet connection – not even a Steam account is required.

So your pal could remotely join and watch you play singleplayer games. Or you take turns controlling the game. It‘s screensharing built for gaming!

Family Sharing Provides the Ideal Experience

Given the remote play options now available, having separate accounts with Steam Family Sharing provides the best collaborative experience:

• Play online multiplayer games together simultaneously
• Access each other‘s libraries of shared singleplayer games
• Join each other‘s games remotely

As redditor u/quora.com recommends:

creating an additional account and adding them to the library of the separate account, you two will be able to play together if he‘s on your other account.

So while sharing one Steam account is possible, limitations persist. Using Family Sharing between two (or more) accounts gives fellow gamers maximum flexibility!

Let me know if you have any other Steam account questions. Happy gaming!