Steam Game Transfers: What’s Possible and What’s Not
You’ve built an impressive library on your old Steam account, filled with hundreds of hours of memories and achievements. Now, you have a new account, perhaps for a fresh start, a family member, or to consolidate your gaming life. The immediate question hits: can you simply move those cherished games from your old account to the new one? The short, official answer is no, but the complete picture has several practical workarounds and one powerful, built-in feature that might give you exactly what you need.
This guide cuts through the confusion. We’ll explain Steam’s strict policy on game ownership, explore the legitimate method for sharing your library, and outline the scenarios where transferring games is fundamentally against the platform’s rules. By the end, you’ll know all your options, how to execute them safely, and how to avoid common pitfalls that could risk your account.
Understanding Steam’s Digital Rights Management
Before looking for solutions, it’s crucial to understand why direct transfers aren’t allowed. When you “buy” a game on Steam, you’re not purchasing a physical item you can resell or gift. You’re purchasing a license—a permanent right to access that software on your Steam account. This license is non-transferable and tied irrevocably to the account that made the purchase.
This system protects developers and publishers from the second-hand market that exists for physical games. It also forms the legal backbone of your Steam Subscriber Agreement. Attempting to circumvent this, through account selling, sharing credentials for the purpose of library transfer, or using third-party “transfer services,” is a direct violation that can lead to permanent account suspension for all involved accounts.
The Official Solution: Steam Family Library Sharing
While you cannot move a game’s license, Steam provides a robust feature designed for sharing your entire library with other users on the same computer: Family Library Sharing. This allows up to five other accounts and ten devices to access your game library while you’re not playing.
Think of it as lending your physical game disc to a family member living in the same house. They can play it, but they can’t keep it permanently, and two people can’t use the same disc at the same time. This is the closest official method to “transferring” play access.
How to Set Up Family Library Sharing
Setting up sharing is straightforward. First, ensure you are comfortable authorizing the other person’s account, as they will have access to most of your library, including potentially in-game purchases.
– On the computer where your game library is installed, log into the Steam account that owns the games (Account A).
– Navigate to Steam > Settings > Family, and check the box that says “Authorize Library Sharing on this computer.”
– Log out of Account A completely from the Steam client.
– Now, log into the second Steam account (Account B) on the same computer.
– Go back to Steam > Settings > Family. You should see Account A listed under “Family members who can use my games.”
– Check the box to authorize sharing from Account A to Account B.
Once authorized, Account B can view and install any shareable game from Account A’s library in their own Steam client. When they launch a game, a notification will show it’s being borrowed from Account A. If Account A logs in and starts playing any game, Account B will be given a few minutes to save and quit.
Key Limitations and Rules of Family Sharing
Family Sharing is powerful but comes with important restrictions you must know.
– Geographical Restrictions: Sharing only works between accounts that have made a purchase in the same country. This prevents regional pricing abuse.
– Simultaneous Play: The library owner’s access always takes priority. If the owner starts any game, all borrowers are notified and must stop.
– Shared Content: Not all content is shareable. Games that require a third-party subscription, account, or additional key (like many MMOs) often are not. Free-to-play games and titles that require specific hardware (like VR exclusives) may also be excluded.
– VAC Bans: If a borrowing account cheats and receives a VAC ban in a shared game, the lending account will also be banned from that game.
– One Machine Setup: The authorization is per device. To play on a different PC, you must repeat the authorization process on that new computer.
Scenarios That Feel Like Transfers (And What to Do)
Your specific situation will determine the best path forward. Let’s break down common scenarios.
You Have Two Personal Accounts
Perhaps you created a second account to separate work from personal life, or for region-specific purchases. Steam’s policy is clear: you cannot merge accounts or transfer licenses between them. Your only option for playing games from Account A on Account B is to use Family Library Sharing as described above, treating your own second account as a “family member.” This means you cannot play games from both libraries simultaneously on two different machines.
You Want to Give Games to a Friend or Family Member Permanently
True, permanent transfer is impossible after a game has been added to your library. The only way to “gift” a Steam game is to purchase it as a gift during the initial transaction, before it’s attached to any account. If you’ve already redeemed it, it’s locked to your account forever.
For a child moving to their own account, Family Sharing is the designed solution. As the parent, you keep ownership and control on your main account, and they get access on theirs. This is safer and preserves your investment.
You’re Selling or Giving Away Your Entire PC
Your Steam games are tied to your account, not your hardware. When you sell your computer, you must completely log out of Steam and ensure you’ve deauthorized all devices via Steam > Settings > Account > Manage Steam Guard account security. The new owner will need their own Steam account and must purchase games themselves. Your licenses remain yours to use on any new computer you log into.
Dangerous Myths and Scams to Avoid
The desire to transfer games has spawned a ecosystem of bad advice and malicious services. Steer clear of these red flags.
– Third-Party “Transfer” Services: Any website or person offering to move games between accounts for a fee is a scam. At best, they’ll take your money and disappear. At worst, they’ll phish your login credentials, hijack both accounts, and get them permanently banned.
– Account Selling/Trading: Selling your Steam account is a violation of the Subscriber Agreement. Valve can and does disable accounts involved in such transactions. The buyer has zero protection and will lose all access the moment the original owner reclaims the account or Valve detects the fraud.
– “Family Sharing” Workarounds for Selling Games: Some suggest setting up Family Sharing and then selling the “access.” This is unreliable (the owner can revoke access or start playing at any time) and is still against Steam’s rules regarding commercial use of the feature.
– Using Shared Credentials: Simply giving your old account’s login details to a friend so they can “have” the games is risky. It violates the Terms of Service, mixes personal account security, and you remain liable for any actions taken on that account.
Strategic Alternatives and Next Steps
If Family Sharing doesn’t meet your needs, consider these strategic approaches.
– Focus on the New Account: Start fresh. Wishlist your favorite games from the old library and repurchase them during major Steam sales like the Summer or Winter Sale, where discounts can reach 80-90%. This builds a clean, secure library on your new primary account.
– Use the Old Account for Legacy Play: Keep the old account solely for playing those specific games. You can still log into it on your PC. While less convenient than having everything in one place, it’s the only way to guarantee uninterrupted access to those original licenses and any saved progress tied to that account.
– Check for Cross-Platform Entitlements: Some games, especially from larger publishers like EA (with EA Play) or Ubisoft (with Ubisoft Connect), may allow you to link your Steam account to their own service. In rare cases, this might grant access to the game on that publisher’s launcher, which you could then access from a new Steam account. This is exception, not the rule.
Final Recommendations for Managing Your Libraries
The digital landscape is built on accounts and licenses. The most secure and sustainable approach is to designate one Steam account as your primary, permanent library. Use Family Sharing for legitimate, in-household access needs. Treat your Steam account with the same seriousness as your email or banking logins—it holds significant value.
Before creating secondary accounts, understand the permanent separation it creates. For parents, set up Family Sharing early to avoid future confusion. And remember, Steam’s refund policy allows you to request a refund for any title with less than two hours of playtime and within 14 days of purchase. If you accidentally buy on the wrong account, act quickly.
While you can’t move the games themselves, you can move your playtime and community. Update your friends list, join new groups, and build your profile on your chosen account. Your gaming legacy is more about the experiences you have than the specific list of licenses in an account’s inventory.
