Key Features of Steam Families:
Family Sharing
By joining a Steam Family, members gain access to shareable games from other family members' libraries. These shared games appear in a dedicated "family library" section of the user's games list. Members maintain ownership of their existing titles, and newly purchased games are automatically added to their individual libraries. While playing a shared game, users can create their own saved data, earn achievements, and access workshop files. Importantly, Family Sharing allows simultaneous play of different games from the same family library, provided there are multiple copies of the game. However, developers can choose to opt their games out of Family Sharing. Users can visit the Steam Store to check which titles support this feature.Parental Controls
Steam Families introduces enhanced parental controls, providing parents with the ability to set specific restrictions on what and when children can play. This includes managing which games are accessible, monitoring activity, and applying these settings remotely through mobile devices.
Family members can have one of two roles: adult or child. Adults have the authority to invite members, manage account restrictions, and oversee family settings. Children are subject to parental controls and cannot modify family settings.
Parental Control Capabilities Include:
- Allowing or restricting access to age-appropriate games.
- Limiting access to Steam Store, Community, or Friends Chat.
- Setting hourly or daily playtime limits.
- Viewing playtime reports.
- Approving or denying requests from child accounts for additional playtime or features.
- Recovering child accounts in case of password loss.
- Child Purchase Requests
Steam Families also simplifies the process of purchasing games for children. Instead of requiring parents to complete gift purchases or share payment details, children can now request that an adult family member approve and pay for their shopping cart. Adults can approve these purchases through their mobile devices or email. Once the request is approved, the games are automatically added to the child’s account.
