How to Share a Steam Account on Two Computers for Simultaneous Gaming

Never before has simultaneous gaming been easier! With the Family Library Sharing feature in Steam, you and your son can enjoy playing different games on two separate computers at the same time, all with the same Steam account. Follow these steps to set it up correctly:

Enabling Steam Guard Security

To ensure the security of your shared Steam account, it is crucial to enable Steam Guard on both accounts. This helps protect your accounts from unauthorized access and added security measures.

Go to your Steam client and navigate to Settings > Security. Make sure you have selected the appropriate security settings for both devices you will be using.

Authorizing Library Sharing

Next, you need to authorize the specific users with whom you wish to share your Steam library. This involves granting each user permission to access your game library. Here's how to do it:

Go to Settings > Family in the Steam client. Select the option to 'Add a family member' and log in the second account you want to share with. Once they log in with their account, you can request that they authorize you to access their library as well. After authorization, your Steam accounts can see and access each other's game libraries.

Playing Different Games Simultaneously

With Family Library Sharing, you can now enjoy simultaneous gaming sessions on multiple computers. You and your son can play different games from the shared library on different devices at the same time. Each user will earn their own Steam achievements and save their own game progress to the Steam Cloud:

Each user can open any game from the shared library without affecting the other. Both can keep their individual achievements and progress. The Steam Cloud ensures that your game progress syncs across all devices.

Important Notes

While the shared library feature is very convenient, there are some limitations:

A shared library can only be accessed by one user at a time. If one person is using a game, the other must either wait or choose a different game. If two users are trying to play the same game simultaneously, one of them will need to wait.

Alternative Solutions

If the Family Library Sharing feature does not meet your needs, you may consider the following:

Create a second Steam account and authorize the first account to access it. Then, the second account can play games from its own library as long as the primary account is not playing them. Most games allow you to play offline. You can log in to both accounts normally and play in offline mode. In some cases, you might need to use manual application launch instead of launching through Steam.

Conclusion

While strict account sharing is generally prohibited, the flexibility provided by Steam’s Family Library Sharing and second-account creation offers a neat solution. Just remember to respect the limitations and enjoy your gaming sessions!

Learn more:

Family Library Sharing - Steam Support Steam Family Sharing 1 Steam account 2 computers will it work - PC Gaming - Linus Tech Tips