Xbox Family Sharing Conumdrum causing me headaches. Looking for a workable solution.

TheCycleTron · Apr 14, 2020

I have been hitting my head against a brickwall over this issue, trawling through forums and google looking for answers and have so far come up a balnk.

This all started out so simple. We got my two kids an Xbox one X for Christmas. I set up a Microsoft Family Account where I am the Organiser, and two kids each have their own account. As the Organiser, I have the Xbox Live Gold & Xbox Gamepass Subscription
(which has since been upgraded to a Gamepass Ultimate when the initial 3-months ran out).

With that setup, both of kids have been able to play games that anyone has purchased on the console, since they are all on the same device. However, with the "every is now stuck at home" thing going on, and to preserve some sanity for the school holidays,
I bought a second Xbox One X console so that both kids could play at the same time, and for various games actually play against each other.

This has exposed what I consider to be a pretty poor design for Family Sharing.

What do I mean? Well, Apple Family Sharing - any member of the family buys anything, and all members in the family can install it and use it on their devices. It doesn't matter who signs into any device that is part of he family sharing. It is totally seamless
and it just works.

Microsoft Family setup: I don't even know where to start. I own the Xbox Subscription as the paying parent. I have to set one of the Consoles as my "Home Console". Anything I purchase on there can be played by anyone on that device, but on the other console
the games that I purchased can only be played if I am signed into that box (which then logs me out of the other boxes - unlike Apple where I can be signed into all my devices with the same account all the time). To complicate matters further, each of kids
has purchased some games under their own accounts using gift cards etc, so as best I can figure, the kids now also have a "Home Console".

What I want to have happen is EVERYONE in the Family to be able to log into ANY console and to play ANY game that has been purchased in the family.

What do I need to do to make this happen?

Does each person in the family need to have their Gamepass Ultimate Subscription?

How does this work with games or addons that are purchased outright by a particular person in the family? Should I just ensure that only my account makes purchases, and not permit the kids to buy anything through their accounts (even though I am still the
one paying for it and granting permission)? For example, one of my kid purhased an Add-On for Forza Horizons 4, and my other kid tried to play it on the second console and it wouldn't work until the first kid signed in (which then logged him out of the other
console).

So, what does everyone else do to solve this ridiculous mess? I know that with Xbox Live Gold you can share purchased games, but I don't particularly care whether this is the case or not. If it means I need multiple subscriptions or have to buy multiple
copies of games to give a totally seamless user experience, then that is what I will do. I just can't find any instructions on how to do this. For example, what subscription would I need for each account?

I also hate to admit this, but I work in I.T. on some pretty complicated setups, but this implementation of Family Sharing seems very poorly thought out. I hate to think what it looks like if I decide to add another console for myself!

Thanks in advance,

Paul

Xbox Newbie & Struggling I.T Support Dad

:)

steeledwand7664

You pretty much have the gist of how the Game Sharing (Home Xbox) works.

Let me see if I can make it a little simpler for you.

No matter what console a profile/account is signed into it will always be able to play its digital games and use any of its subscriptions.

Each Profile can set one console at a time as their home xbox and any other profile can then play that profiles digital games and use any of its subscriptions without that profile being signed in at the same time.

Each profile can switch which console is set as its home console ONLY FIVE times a year. This is on a rolling schedule from the date that the first home xbox was setup not a calendar year.

So in your situation:

Your account has the subscriptions and some of the game purchases.

Whichever console you have set as your profiles home console your sons can play your games and use your subscriptions without you being signed in.

On any other console your account would have to be signed in at the same time in order for them to play your games or use your subscriptions. The thing with this is that you can only be signed into one Xbox One console at a time. (this would not affect your
Home console because you do not have to be signed in there for them to play your games). So theoretically one son could be playing one of your games on the home console without you being signed in and if the other son wants to play one of your games on the
NON-Home Box they would need to sign in your account first then switch accounts to their account.

As far as the Forza 4 Situation goes If the son that owns the add-ons makes the console that his brother wants to play on as his home console then the brother that does not own the game and add-ons wants to play them he can but again only on the home Xbox
of the brother that owns the add-ons other wise we are back to the owner having to be signed in at the same time situation.

AvengedBRa

Hello, Paul!

All content bought with the main account (yours, since it's your home xbox) will work for every user on the same console. The content that your kids bought under their account will only work if they are logged into these accounts. For example, one of your
kids bought Minecraft with his account that isn't the home xbox, so in order to access the game he must be logged in but any other account won't be able to play it.

So every content bought under accounts that aren't the main account on that xbox can't access it.

I hope it helps,

Felipe.

TheCycleTron

That's why it's so confusing. I'm not fussed whether I can share the content or not (in terms of paying for it). All I want is for any person in the house to be able to play whatever is installed on any Xbox in the house. If it means I have to buy multiple
subscriptions, I can deal with that. But I assume that would mean I need mutiple accounts because you can't subscribe to the same thing twice under on account.

I don't think that is too much to ask.

A Famly Subscription would be ideal to stop all this uncessary mucking around with "Home Consoles".

kev edin

I do understand were your coming from . I do think Microsoft need to bring some sort of family subscription back.

Or work it that along as the xboxs are all in same house / ip address , and they are on family, then they should be able to share 🤔

Njal the Blue

The idea of the family account, is so that you can control the content and material, that you my not want them to access. You can also set it so that they can not purchase unless you authorise it. It's not for sharing content. You do understand the home
Xbox feature, yes it has limitations but it was designed with for Xbox per household. It would be nice to see all Xbox on the same network being able to share.

Xbox Family Sharing Conumdrum causing me headaches. Looking for a workable solution.