While we’ll also posit the virtues of physical media, there’s no denying that the gaming industry is moving to a digital-first outlook, especially with regards to Xbox. Their subscription service, Xbox Game Pass, practically makes physical gaming on the platform feel redundant, especially as more games keep being added to the service, so at this point, if you can’t beat them, you may as well join them, especially if you’re playing on the Xbox One or Xbox Series X & S.
Still, joining them doesn’t mean you can’t try to make things easier for yourself financially. Thankfully, there’s an easy way to split the costs of buying games digitally on both the Xbox One and the Xbox Series X & S, and it’s called Game Sharing. Setting it up for your consoles doesn’t take too long either, so here’s how to enable Game Sharing on Xbox, and how you can set it up for yourself.
What Is Game Sharing?
As the name suggests, Game Sharing grants two Xbox users on separate consoles the ability to share their game library across both consoles. If one player purchases a game through the Xbox Store, both players will be able to download and play that. Those privileges also extend to Xbox Game Pass subscriptions and DLC for games, basically allowing players to go halves on pretty much everything.
Xbox Game Sharing: Step-By-Step Guide
In order to set-up Game Sharing, you first need to find someone to go through the process with, which means having a friend. We can’t help you with that side of things, but we can give you a word of caution: Game Sharing requires both parties to have access to each other’s passwords and Xbox accounts, which means that there’s an inherent risk involved, especially if you’re looking to do it with someone you only know from an online space. With that in mind, please make sure you go through the next steps with someone you trust.
Now that we’ve gone through the admin, let’s get Game Share actually set up, which involves using the Home Xbox feature. Your Home Xbox is where your digital game licenses are tied to, which is what allows you to play downloaded games even while offline. Anyone else who sets up an account on that same Xbox will also be able to access your games, even if you’re not signed in.
In order to set up a console as your Home Xbox, you’ll need to do the following:
– Press the Xbox button to open up the guide menu.
– Head to the Profile and Settings tab, then click Settings, followed by General and then Personalisation.
– Finally, you’ll want to click on the My Home Xbox button. From there, you can choose to make the console you’re on your Home Xbox.
For Game Sharing specifically, Person A needs to set their Home Xbox to be Person B’s Xbox, while Person B has to do the same for Person A’s Xbox. With both players having their accounts on each other’s Xbox, both players should be able to access each other’s libraries in full. For roommates or partners who game on the same platform, going through the Game Sharing process is worth it.
How To Remove Someone From Game Sharing
Unfortunately, you may run into an instance with a relationship or friendship that runs its course, and that instance, you might need to end a Game Sharing situation. In order to do that, you simply need to change your Xbox to become your Home Xbox again, which will remove the other person’s access to your games. Just make sure to change your password so they can’t access your profile at all.
Are There Any Drawbacks To Game Sharing?
While Game Sharing is absolutely worth doing, that doesn’t mean there aren’t some negatives to the process. For instance, if you suffer a network outage and your Xbox can’t connect to the internet, you won’t be able to access the games that belong to your Game Sharing partner, as again, digital licenses are stored to your Home Xbox.
Another aspect to keep in mind is that accounts on Xbox are limited to switching their Home Xbox up to five times per year. Once you’ve gone through all your allocated switches, you’ll have to wait until the year is up before you can do it again. Basically, try to make sure the person you’re planning on Game Sharing with isn’t going to dip in a month.
READ MORE: Biggest New Xbox Games Of 2023 & Beyond
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