Game sharing on Xbox allows you to digitally share your games and Xbox subscriptions with a friend. Rather than both of you paying for the same games or services, game sharing lets one subscription work across two consoles.
According to Microsoft‘s official Xbox support site, game sharing is a fully supported feature, not an exploit.
In this guide, I‘ll explain step-by-step how to setup game sharing on Xbox. We‘ll cover:
- How game sharing works technically
- Choosing someone to safely share games with
- The 5 key steps to start game sharing
- Setting up permissions and licenses
- Downloading and playing shared games
- Troubleshooting problems
Let‘s get into it!
How Does Game Sharing on Xbox Work?
On a technical level, game sharing works by sharing digital licenses and designating a "Home Xbox" console.
Every digital game and app has two licenses:
- A license locked to the purchasing account
- A license locked to the "Home Xbox" designated by that account
With game sharing, you sign in on a friend‘s console with your account. You then set their Xbox as your Home Xbox.
Now, even when signed back into their own profile, your friend has access to all your digital content. That‘s because their Xbox holds the secondary license tied to your account.
Meanwhile, you can still play your games on your own Xbox. You retain the primary license tied directly to your gamertag.
In this way, a single digital purchase gets shared across two devices. Only one person pays, but you both get access!
The same thing happens in reverse when your friend sets your console as their Home Xbox and shares their library.
Choosing Someone to Safely Game Share With
Game sharing requires sharing account access with another person. You want to choose someone you fully trust.
Here are factors to consider in a game share partner:
How well do you know them personally? Random people online often seem trustworthy. But real-world friends or family may be less likely to access your information maliciously.
Are you comfortable with them seeing your payment info? They will be able to view any payment options saved and potentially make purchases.
How invested are they in their Xbox account? If their account holds years of gaming progress and purchases, they likely won‘t want to risk it getting banned or stolen.
Can you easily contact them if any issues arise? Quick communication fixes problems faster.
While Xbox game sharing is an approved feature, account security is still important. Change your account password before sharing it and consider extra login protections like two-factor authentication.
Step 1: Share Xbox Account Credentials
The first step is to exchange your Xbox Live login information with your game share partner. This means:
- Xbox gamertag email address
- Account password
Keep the following in mind:
- Only share credentials one way if needed. If your friend has nothing to share back, you sign into their device but they don‘t need access to yours.
- Temporary change your password if concerned about security. You can change it back afterwards.
- Use a strong, unique password different than passwords for other services.
- Enable two-factor authentication for extra security.
Once you have account access, it‘s time to sign in on the other person‘s Xbox.
Step 2: Sign Into Friend‘s Xbox With Your Account
The next step is to add your profile to your friend‘s Xbox. This links your gaming licenses to their device.
On their Xbox:
- Press the Xbox button to open the guide.
- Navigate to Settings > Account > Add or switch.
- Select Add new to add a profile.
- Enter your email address and password.
- Your gamertag and profile should now appear on their Xbox.
Your friend will do the same on your Xbox with their login.
Keep the following in mind:
- You can only access content on one Xbox at a time when signed in. So you won‘t be able to play any games while your friend is signed into your profile on their device.
- Make sure your friend knows when you are about to sign in so you don‘t disconnect them during a game.
Step 3: Set Xbox as Home Console
Now that you‘re logged into your friend‘s Xbox, the next vital step is to set their Xbox as your Home Xbox.
This links the device licenses from any digital content purchased on your account to their console. It essentially tricks the Xbox into thinking your friend‘s console is the one you primarily play on.
To set the Home Xbox:
- While signed into your profile on your friend‘s Xbox, open Settings > General > Personalization
- Select My home Xbox
- Check the box for Make this my home Xbox
Things to note:
- You can only change your Home Xbox 5 times per year. This is to prevent license abuse by constantly shifting home devices.
- Games and DLC purchased on your account will now automatically download and update on your friend‘s Xbox since it‘s set as your home.
Step 4: Switch Back to Your Profile
Once your friend‘s Xbox is set as your account‘s Home Xbox, you can switch back to their profile on their console.
Important note: Make sure you are signed back in to your friend‘s gamertag on their Xbox when accessing shared content. If you stay on your profile, you won‘t actually be utilizing the shared licenses.
Step 5: Download Games From Your Shared Library
Now the fun part – accessing a whole new library of shared games!
While signed into your friend‘s profile, go to My Games & Apps > Full Library:
- Select Xbox Game Pass to access any subscriptions shared from the other account.
- Choose Owned Games to download purchased titles.
- You can also download any EA Play games included with their membership.
If certain games don‘t show up, try finding and installing them directly from the Microsoft Store app instead. Subscriptions like Xbox Game Pass sometimes don‘t fully register the sharing properly.
Also check Perks in the Xbox Dashboard for any free content, DLC, cosmetics, boosts etc. that the other account has access to.
You should now have access to all your friend‘s digital games, ready to install and play! And the same goes for them in reverse on your Xbox library.
Can You Play Online with Shared Games?
A common question around Xbox game sharing – yes, you can play online multiplayer with shared games!
The license transfer effectively means both consoles each "own" their own legitimate copy of any shared digital games.
So if you download and share a game like Elden Ring or Call of Duty with a friend, you can absolutely play co-op, multiplayer, etc. together online.
Game sharing is actually a great way to convince friends to buy certain online multiplayer games. If there‘s a game you‘re wanting to play together, game sharing ensures they get access for free – so there‘s more incentive for them to give it a try with you!
What Issues Should I Watch Out For?
While game sharing is designed to work seamlessly, here are some potential issues to keep an eye on:
Shared games failing to launch – Occasionally licenses don‘t transfer properly. Try uninstalling the game and redownloading. Also set the sharing Xbox back as Home Device again.
Step 5 not working – The Xbox Game Pass subscription doesn‘t always recognize the sharing right away. Download Pass games individually rather than through the Game Pass app if needed.
Purchased content not appearing – Buyers must manually "purchase" downloadable content (DLC) on both consoles for it to work properly.
Can‘t play same game together online – Extremely rare, but sometimes two shared copies will conflict. Contact Xbox Support if this happens.
In most cases, a quick restart, redownload or Home Xbox refresh resolves any brief hiccups in the sharing process. But let me know in the comments if you encounter any persistent issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some common questions about Xbox game sharing:
Can you get banned for game sharing?
No. Game sharing is an official, approved Xbox feature explicitly designed to share digital licenses across devices. Microsoft even provides official support documentation guiding users through the steps. There is no risk of bans for properly sharing content between two consoles.
What happens if I remove game sharing?
You can easily revert access. On your own Xbox, open Settings > General > Personalization > My home Xbox. Check the "Make this my home Xbox" box. This will remove sharing access from any other consoles.
Can I share Xbox games between console and PC?
Not directly. The sharing process requires designating Home Xbox consoles, which can‘t be done on PC. However, you can access shared Xbox subscriptions like Game Pass on a gaming PC by logging into the Windows Xbox app. Shared console game licenses won‘t transfer though.
What do I do if I lose access to the account I‘m game sharing with?
First step is contacting the account owner to try regain access. Barring that, unlink the lost account from your Settings app. You can also perform a factory reset to remove all linking and data. Just be aware that as long as your console is still set as their Home Xbox, they could potentially access some of your gaming data.
Can I share games with more than one other person?
Unfortunately not. The Home Xbox system restricts sharing to just one other console. So you‘ll need to choose a single, primary friend for optimal game sharing benefits.
In Summary
And there you have it! A complete guide to setting up seamless game sharing with a friend on Xbox consoles.
Done properly, you can access each other‘s full digital libraries – cutting game costs in half by only needing a single purchase between you.
You can also share expensive subscription services like Xbox Game Pass Ultimate. For the cost of a single membership, you both unlock 100+ free games, Xbox Live Gold, EA Play and more!
Just be smart in choosing a trusted friend for sharing sensitive account access. And you may occasionally encounter minor hiccups. But overall game sharing remains a hugely valuable Xbox feature.
Have you been enjoying game sharing with a friend? Share your experiences and thoughts in the comments below!
