With so many brilliant games coming out on a regular basis, it’s certainly hard for your wallet to keep up. However, there are features like game sharing that can ease some of the financial burden and allow you to play as many titles as possible.
The Xbox family of consoles does allow you to share games, but as you might expect, it’s not exactly clear how this is set up. Below, we’ll show you how to share games on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S consoles so you can expand your game library without breaking your budget.
How to share games on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S
If you’re trying an older generation Xbox One, you can still start game sharing if you know the steps to set it up. Conveniently, these are the same steps required for the newer Xbox Series X or S. So once you learn how to do it, you can apply your knowledge to the latest generation.
Here’s everything you need to know about game sharing on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S:
- Sign in to the other user’s Xbox console with your Xbox account by opening the guide using the Xbox button on the controller, scrolling to the left, and clicking the “Add New” option.
- Make this console your “Home Xbox” by going to “Settings,” “Personalize,” “My Home Xbox,” and clicking the “Make this console my home Xbox” option.
- Now you can go to the games library and see what games are available for you.
- If you want, you can log out of the account as all purchases are now linked to your Xbox.
That’s all about it. Once both you and your partner have completed the steps above, you can use each other’s libraries and gameshares to your heart’s content!
There are a few caveats, however, and we’ll likely answer all of these below with our further explanations of how various processes work.
Can games be shared between Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S?
Yes, as long as you follow the steps above correctly, you should be able to share games between the two generations of consoles without any problems. This is fantastic if your friend hasn’t yet made the switch to the new system but you still want to access their library. Thank you Phil Spencer and Co. for that!
However, this is where it stops. If you want to return to the Xbox 360 era, you’ll only be able to play these games if they’re accessible through the Xbox One or Xbox Series X|S libraries and not the 360 console itself.
Can you share games between two Xbox consoles?
Aside from the person you shared the game with, you cannot share the game with anyone else at the same time. This is because you can only set up a home Xbox once. If you were to change this, first person access would be revoked.
However, you can have as many people as you want. For example, you can share your games with one user, but you can have, for example, ten users share with you, giving you access to a large number of games.
If you have enough generous friends, this is the best way to get your hands on a bunch of titles you haven’t played yet, and if you’re looking for achievements, this is probably the best technique for increasing Gamerscore.
Can you play the same game when sharing games on Xbox?
NO, Game sharing on Xbox consoles doesn’t allow you to play the same game at the same time. If one of the consoles is playing a game and the other also tries to play the same game, the game will terminate for the first user.
To make sure this never happens and you don’t lose your progress, simply communicate with the other person you’re sharing with and you’re good to go. This can get a little complex if you have multiple people sharing their libraries with you, so you should do as many manual saves as possible just in case.
How often can you change your home Xbox?
As mentioned, to share games on Xbox, you’ll need to set up a “home” Xbox. However, there are restrictions that Microsoft has put in place to ensure that you don’t abuse the system and share your games with anyone.
You can change your home Xbox up to five times a year. Since you would actually only have to do this if you were to get a new Xbox, this is a sufficient amount that you probably won’t reach.