Steam's old Family Sharing feature will eventually be pulled in favor of newly launched Steam Families

Valve has just announced the launch of a new feature called Steam Families. This new system is set to replace the existing Family Sharing and Family View features. According to the company, the new Steam Families feature will offer a more comprehensive and user-friendly approach to sharing games and managing family accounts.

Steam Families brings some improvements over its predecessor. Most notably, it allows multiple family members to play different shared games simultaneously. This was a major limitation of the old system. For instance, if one family member is playing a shared copy of Portal 2, another can enjoy Half-Life at the same time without interruption.

The new feature supports up to six family members, catering to households of various sizes. It automatically shares all eligible games among family members. Of course, the adult accounts will have the ability to restrict access for child accounts using built-in parental controls.

Parents will now also have more control and will be able to set playtime limits and restrict access to certain Steam features. If a child wants to make a game purchase, parents will have the option to approve or disapprove the request. Hopefully, this will prevent children from emptying their parents bank accounts.

While the old Family Sharing feature is still functional, Valve has stated (see video below) that it will “eventually” be retired. Users currently utilizing Family Sharing are encouraged to set up a Steam Family, with the system automatically suggesting invites to previously shared accounts.

To get started with Steam Families, simply update your Steam client. From there, you can create a Steam Family and invite up to five family members. The newest Steam client update also includes other features, such as a redesigned screenshots’ manager, providing an overall enhanced user experience.

With the launch of Steam Families, Valve aims to provide a more intuitive and feature-rich experience for families sharing games and managing playtime on Steam. For more detailed information, users can refer to the official Steam Families FAQ.