Similar to Microsoft’s originally announced (but later retracted) Family Sharing Plan, Valve is looking to bring game sharing to their PC game distribution platform Steam. This new sharing plan will allow gamers to share their entire game library with up to 10 of their friends.
Games that are shared can only be accessed by one user at a time with the owner’s account being able to access the game at all times (i.e. if a friend is playing a game you’re sharing and you want to play, feel free to boot him off). When the parent account logs into a game, the player borrowing the game will be “given a few minutes to either purchase the game or quit playing.”
A closed beta will begin later this month. You can join the Steam Family Sharing Plan group to express your interest in the beta. There’s no word yet about when the whole Valve community will be able to utilize this feature, but it’s sure to be a welcome addition to the world of PC gaming.
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