Valve has just announced a new feature called Steam Families, which will soon be integrated into Steam. This feature is currently available for beta testers and will replace both Steam Family Sharing and Steam Family View. The goal is to centralize moderation and parental control options while ensuring that families have a wide selection of games to play within a controlled network.
According to a blog post by Valve, up to five members can join the same ‘Steam Family’. They will have access to a shared game library, but the main users can control how and when these games are accessed. Steam Families introduces innovative features to make it easier for parents to monitor and control their children’s online and gaming activities.
Better Control and Closer Family Bonds
Valve’s Steam Families feature allows parents to monitor their children’s game-playing time, control access, restrict features like chat and online gaming, and block games with certain age ratings. There is also a request system in Steam Families that lets younger users ask their parents for a purchase approval with a simple click.
The main function of Steam Families is to enable the sharing of game libraries among members. Members can play games from each other’s libraries, but they cannot play the same game simultaneously without purchasing an additional copy.
Here are the parental control mechanics available in Steam Families, as listed in Valve’s blog post:
- Allow access to appropriate games
- Restrict access to the Steam Store, Community, or Friends Chat
- Set playtime limits (hourly/daily)
- View playtime reports
- Approve or deny requests from child accounts for additional playtime or feature access (temporary or permanent)
- Recover a child’s account if they lost their password
Steam Families is currently exclusive to users on the Steam Beta platform. The global rollout date has not been announced yet, but early reports from users are positive.
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