Valve has launched a significant update to the family library on Steam, called Steam Families, which is now available in the beta version of the Steam client. This new platform replaces Steam Family Sharing and Steam Family View, providing a universal section for all family access settings, including new controls for parents.
With Steam Families, up to six members can be included, each designated as either a “child” or “adult.” Once added to the group, each member will see a new “Family Library” section in the left column of their Steam client, containing all games from each member’s library that support family sharing.
Members of the group can play supported games from each other’s library, with the games functioning as separate copies. It’s worth noting that anyone “borrowing” a game from the family library will generate their own unique save files for each game.
However, it’s important to be mindful of who you share information with, as Valve states that if a sibling gets banned while playing your copy of a multiplayer game like PUBG: Battlegrounds, you will also be banned.
Adult members of each family group have access to moderation controls that can restrict game access for child accounts, enforce time limits on a per-hour and per-day basis, limit access to the Steam store, and more.
One of the most useful new features is a system that allows accounts to request additional playtime, access to restricted features, or even make purchases in the Steam store. For parents, this is a clear improvement over the previous process of buying a gift copy of a game for the child. With Steam Families, the child can request the game they want, and adult accounts in the family can approve or deny the request.
The new Steam Families system is available in the beta version of the Steam client. To try it out, you can switch to this branch by opening the Steam settings, clicking on the “Interface” tab, and selecting “Steam Families Beta” from the drop-down list next to “Participate in client beta.”
Original from www.playground.ru