14 DAY TRIAL // Valve has just confirmed a brand new feature for its Steam digital distribution service, in the form of Family Sharing, which is pretty similar to the same mechanic announced by Microsoft for the Xbox One, and allows users to access the Steam games library of their friends.
Steam is the most popular digital distribution out there, and Valve aims at keeping it the top dog in this segment of the games industry.
Now, the studio confirmed that the Steam Family Sharing system will be rolled out next week as a closed beta at first, and as a full-fledged feature in the near future.
Like the Xbox One Family Sharing system that's since been scrapped by Microsoft, it allows a Steam user to share access to their games with up to ten of their friends.
"Steam Family Sharing is designed for close friends and family members to play one another's Steam games while each earning their own Steam achievements and storing their own saves and application data to the Steam cloud. It's all enabled by authorizing a shared computer," the studio said on its website.
Apparently, the new service has been highly requested by Steam users and Valve wanted to bring the same amount of freedom to its customers like on consoles, for example.
"Our customers have expressed a desire to share their digital games among friends and family members, just as current retail games, books, DVDs, and other physical media can be shared," explained Anna Sweet of Valve. "Family Sharing was created in direct response to these user requests."
Once a computer is authorized by a Steam user, that person can download and play all their games without any charge, although limitations, like the requirement of a subscription for an online game or an extra key, mean that not all games will be supported.
Unlike the Family Sharing system for the Xbox One, however, a library can only be accessed by a single user at a time.
"Though simultaneous usage of an account’s library is not allowed, the lender may always access and play his games at any time. If he decides to start playing when a friend is borrowing one of his games, the friend will be given a few minutes to either purchase the game or quit playing."
The new Steam Family Sharing will be rolled out in the future.