How Many People Can You Gameshare With on PC?
As an avid PC gamer with over 200 games in my Steam library, game sharing is incredibly valuable for accessing a wider variety of titles without breaking the bank. From my experience, you can comfortably share your PC game library with up to 5 other gamers through Steam‘s Family Sharing program.
A Breakdown of Steam Family Sharing
Steam‘s Family Sharing feature lets you lend your Steam game licenses to friends and family. Up to 5 accounts can access your library at once, with the following rules and limitations:
- You can authorize Family Sharing across 10 devices maximum
- Only one shared library can be accessed at a time
- If the owner plays a game, borrowers get kicked out
- Some games have sharing restrictions
I have my gaming desktop, laptop, and HTPC authorized for sharing access. This allows my brothers, roommate, and best friend to borrow from my 200+ game collection whenever I‘m not gaming.
It‘s a great perk being able to share the latest releases without having to buy 5 copies. My roommate was able to finish Elden Ring thanks to Family Sharing!
How Large is the Average PC Game Library?
To give some perspective, the average Steam user has around 15 games according to Sergey Galyonkin‘s analysis. So even smaller collections provide decent variety for sharing.
Meanwhile, a 2020 survey found that 18-29 year olds own the most PC games on average:
| Age Group | Avg. # of PC Games Owned |
|---|---|
| 18-29 | 37 games |
| 30-45 | 23 games |
| 45+ | 15 games |
So with seasoned gamers averaging ~30 games, Family Sharing unlocks a sizable catalog for friends to enjoy.
What About Other PC Game Platforms?
Here‘s a quick overview of game sharing capabilities on other major PC gaming platforms:
- Epic Games Store: No sharing features at this time. All licenses are locked to purchasing accounts.
- Xbox App: Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers can share access with up to 4 "Friends & Family."
- Origin: No native sharing system. You‘d have to share account credentials which violates ToS.
So unfortunately Steam is still the only platform with a proper built-in game lending functionality on PC. While workarounds exist for Xbox and Origin, they break terms of service.
Game Sharing with Xbox Game Pass
The one exception is that Xbox Game Pass does allow sharing an Ultimate subscription with up to 4 friends or family members. My college roommate subscribed to the Friends & Family plan so 3 of us could play Halo Infinite together on launch day!
But this only applies to the Game Pass subscription itself. You still cannot share individual game licenses outside of Steam due to platform limitations.
Final Thoughts on Game Sharing
At the end of the day, Steam Family Sharing hits the sweet spot by allowing close friends and family to access your game collection without excessive DRM restrictions. The 5 user sharing limit prevents exploitative abuse.
As an avid gamer, I think it strikes a fair balance between supporting developers and enabling fans to responsibly enjoy more gaming content. So for now, Steam remains the ideal PC marketplace for game sharing capabilities.
