How To Game Share On Xbox One Or Xbox Series

The Xbox consoles have the benefit of offering user-friendly services to their users. Game share on Xbox One or Xbox Series is one of these features. It allows you to share your library with a friend, or vice-versa.

Not only can you share your game library, but you can also share your Xbox Live Gold, Xbox Game Pass, and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate memberships. It’s a great way to play extra games if you’re on a budget, or invite friends to use your games and services, and perhaps share the bills.

There’s one requisite, though: both you and your friend need an Xbox console, plus an Xbox account. It won’t work with a single Xbox, and a Windows PC, for example. Otherwise, game share on Xbox One or Xbox Series is quite easy.

Before that, though, the simple fact of logging into another person’s Xbox already gives you access to their games, on the foreign console. You would have to be physically there to play those games; we can do so much better than that.

How To Game Share On Xbox One Or Xbox Series

Game sharing on Xbox One or Xbox Series allows you to give a person access to your game library. Additionally, you could gain access to the Xbox account of a trusted friend. That means two Xbox libraries would be present on two consoles, at the same time.

Assuming you want to share your games with someone else and vice-versa, here’s what you need:

Each person needs an Xbox One or an Xbox Series console.
Each person needs an Xbox Live account.
Each user needs the login information of both Xbox Live accounts. That means the Xbox account email and the password.
The two users who are game sharing need to do the same steps. Otherwise, you would get log-in error messages when trying to play the other account’s games.

The main feature to use is Home Xbox. It determines which Xbox is your primary device. If someone else signs into the console with a different account, they would be able to enjoy your game library.

And when the two users follow the same steps on their consoles, you can enable two account libraries on two consoles. The process is easy and it has five steps:

Share your log-in credentials with the other person
Sing in the other person’s account on your console
Switch to that person’s account on your console
Select your console as the other account’s Home Xbox
Switch back to your account

The follow-up step-by-step tutorial is equal for either the Xbox One or Xbox Series family. That’s because these devices share features, services, and user interfaces.

Share Your Xbox Credentials With the Other Person

You can access your digital games two ways: on your home Xbox, or through your account (Gamertag):

When you log in to another person’s Xbox, your game library and services become available there.
When you select a new console as your Home Xbox, all of your digital content becomes available on the new console, but these licenses won’t be available on the previous device.

You can combine these two features to enable two-way game sharing between you and someone else.

So, first, you’d need to ask for that person’s credentials, as well as give that person your Xbox account email and password.

Let’s say you want to play your brother’s games on your console, and your brother wants to play yours. You would have to use his credentials to log in on your Home Xbox, while he uses your credentials to log in on his console.

Add Another Account To Your Xbox

After you’ve got your brother’s Xbox account credentials, here’s how to add another account on your Xbox Series or Xbox One:

Turn on the console
Press the Xbox button to open the guide
Go to Profile & system
Select Add or switch
Select Add new
Enter your Xbox Live credentials of the other person and select Enter
Press Next when the privacy message pops up.

Meanwhile, your friend or relative needs to follow the same steps on their console.

Switch To The Other Person’s Account On Your Xbox

The third step is pretty straightforward. Here’s how to switch to another person’s account on your Xbox One or Xbox Series:

Turn on your console
Press the Xbox button on your controller to open the guide
Go to Profile & system
Select Add or Switch
Select the other person’s account

Now, you can go back to the Profile & system menu to continue the tutorial.

For now, the account that logs into your Xbox already has access to your games and services. You don’t have access to the other person’s content, though.

Enable Your Console As The Other Account’s Home Xbox

The first time you log in to an Xbox One or an Xbox Series, the console automatically becomes your Home Xbox. A Home Xbox lets you share games and content with others who sign in to your console with their profile.

But now, you’re using another person’s account, so you’d need to enable the feature manually:

Here’re the steps:

Go to Profile & system (you’re using the other person’s account on your Xbox)
Select Settings
Select General
Select Personalization
Select My home Xbox.
Select Make this my home Xbox. The other option is “Remove this as my home Xbox” instead.

Switch Back To Your Account

To finally enjoy the feature, you’d have to switch back into your account:

Press the Xbox button to open the guide
Go to Profile & system
Select Add or Switch
Select your account

You’ll now see your friend’s game library on Game & apps, after opening the home screen. You’d have to download the content, though.

How To Access The Game Sharing Library?

You would access your brother’s library the same way you access your game library:

Press the Xbox button to open the guide
To go My games & apps
Select See All
Go to Full Library

On the right-side panel, you’d see the list of owned games, apps, and services. Click on each option to reveal all of the games you could download and play on your console.

In Summary

The whole process may be a bit confusing, so let me summarize it, once again.

But let’s continue with the example: you and your brother want to share games and services with each other. In that case, both need to do the following steps on their respective consoles.

First, you would have to do this:

Use your brother’s credentials to add his account to your console
Switch to your brother’s account on your console
While using that account, select your console as their Home Xbox
Switch back to your account

At the same time, your brother should follow similar steps:

He uses your credentials to add your account to his console
He switches to your account on his console
He selects his console as your Home Xbox
He switches back to his account

If you and the other person did the same steps on your respective consoles, game sharing is ready. Now, you don’t have to be physically there to play each other’s games.

In the end, your Xbox One or Xbox Series would be working as your brother’s Home Xbox, with your account. Then, your brother’s Xbox would be your Home Xbox, with his account – remember “brother” is only our example.

That said, the feature also shares a single Xbox Live Gold membership, Game Pass, Game Pass Ultimate, or EA Play memberships. It also shares games bought with Games With Gold.

Xbox Game Sharing Restrictions

Here’re a few pointers to remember about Xbox Game Sharing:

Sharing Xbox accounts is sensitive, as you may have your payment method available in your account. Please ensure the other person is a partner, a friend, or a family member you deeply trust.
If you want to share a physical copy, you need to share the copy itself. it won’t be available as a digital game when you share your library.
Both users can enjoy the same game simultaneously on different consoles. You wouldn’t be able to play co-op this way, though.
Game sharing only works for two people. You can share your account with one person only.
You can change your Home Xbox five times every year. Keep count so you don’t block the feature for yourself.

Lastly, to cancel the game sharing, here’re the steps: