To share eligible digital games on Xbox Series X|S, sign in with the account that owns the games, open Settings > General > Personalization > My home Xbox, and select Make this my home Xbox. Other profiles using that console can then launch the owner’s eligible Microsoft Store games and shared console subscription benefits without the owner staying signed in.
Xbox calls this the Home Xbox system. Players often call it “game sharing,” but it is a console-license setting—not a way to transfer ownership to another account. The owner keeps the games, and only one console can be that account’s Home Xbox at a time.
How Xbox game sharing works
A digital Xbox purchase normally has two useful paths to its license:
- Account license: the purchasing account can access its eligible games on another Xbox while signed in and connected to the Xbox network.
- Home-console license: other profiles can access eligible purchases on the Xbox designated as the buyer’s Home Xbox, even when the buyer is not signed in.
This is why a two-console household often makes the shared family console the buyer’s Home Xbox. Other people use their own profiles on that console, while the buyer signs into the second Xbox to access the same library.
Home Xbox does not merge accounts, copy achievements, combine saves, or give another person ownership of a game. Each player should use a separate Xbox profile so saves, achievements, privacy settings, and multiplayer identity remain separate.
How to game share on Xbox Series X|S
- Turn on the Xbox that other household members will use.
- Sign in with the Microsoft account that owns the eligible games or Xbox subscription.
- Press the Xbox button to open the guide.
- Go to Profile & system > Settings.
- Select General > Personalization > My home Xbox.
- Select Make this my home Xbox.
- Sign out of the owner’s profile.
- Have the other player sign in with their own profile, open My games & apps, and install or launch an eligible shared game.
Those menu labels follow Microsoft’s current Home Xbox instructions. If the button instead offers to remove the console as your Home Xbox, that account has already designated it.
Do not leave the purchasing profile configured for unrestricted automatic sign-in. Add a passkey or require authentication for purchases, particularly on a console used by children or guests.
What can be shared on a Home Xbox?
Microsoft says people who sign in to your Home Xbox can access eligible games and downloadable content bought from the Microsoft Store. Eligible console games available through an Xbox Game Pass subscription can also be shared under the normal Home Xbox rules.
In practical terms, this commonly includes:
- Eligible digital Xbox games purchased by the owner account
- Eligible Microsoft Store expansions and downloadable content
- Eligible console games from the owner’s active Game Pass plan
- Shared console multiplayer benefits included with an eligible subscription
The subscription or purchase must remain valid. A Game Pass title stops being available if it leaves the catalog or the subscription ends, unless someone on the console separately owns it. Our Xbox Game Pass plan comparison explains how the current tiers differ.
What does not always share?
Do not assume every item attached to an account will move through Home Xbox. Microsoft specifically identifies in-game currency and certain preorder bonuses as examples of content that may be account-specific. Publisher accounts, consumables, premium currencies, cosmetics, season entitlements, and third-party subscriptions can apply their own rules.
Cloud Gaming is also tied to the account and plan using the cloud service. Setting a console as Home Xbox does not turn another profile into the subscriber on a phone, browser, handheld, television app, or other cloud device.
Before buying an add-on for a second player, check its Microsoft Store description. Look for language about account restrictions, consumables, virtual currency, required base games, platform versions, or third-party accounts.
Can two people play the same shared game at once?
Often, yes—when they use two consoles and two different Xbox profiles.
The typical setup is:
- Console A: designated as the purchaser’s Home Xbox; the second player uses their own profile.
- Console B: the purchaser signs in with the purchasing profile and stays connected to the Xbox network.
The Home Xbox uses its console license, while the purchaser uses the account license on the other console. Both players still need separate profiles, and the game’s own online, server, age, account, and multiplayer rules continue to apply.
Do not try to make the same Xbox profile actively play a game on two consoles at once. Microsoft’s sign-in rules allow an account on multiple device types, but one profile cannot create two independent console gameplay sessions. If Xbox reports that the game is already being played elsewhere, confirm that each person is using a different profile.
Can game-shared Xbox games be played offline?
Other profiles can use eligible digital licenses offline on the console set as the purchaser’s Home Xbox, subject to the individual game’s requirements. Online-only games, live-service titles, multiplayer modes, publisher account checks, and server-dependent features still need a connection.
On a non-home console, the purchaser normally needs to be signed in and connected so Xbox can verify the account license. If your internet service is unreliable, make the console you personally use most often your Home Xbox rather than designing the arrangement only around simultaneous play.
Home Xbox versus installing a game on another console
Installation and licensing are different. Copying or downloading a game onto a second Xbox does not by itself give another profile permission to launch it.
You can move the installed files through network transfer, external storage, or a fresh download, but Xbox still checks whether the active account or Home Xbox holds a valid license. Our Xbox game and save transfer guide explains the difference between moving installations and synchronizing cloud saves.
How to stop sharing your Xbox games
- Sign in with the account that owns the content.
- Open Settings > General > Personalization > My home Xbox.
- Select the option to remove that console as your Home Xbox—or designate a different Xbox as home.
- If the old console is leaving your possession, remove your account and reset the console after confirming your saves and purchases are synchronized.
Microsoft limits how frequently an account can change its Home Xbox. The console shows the applicable limit and, if it has been reached, when another change becomes available. Avoid repeatedly switching the setting just to troubleshoot a temporary outage.
Game sharing safety: do not exchange passwords
The supported Home Xbox feature does not require another person to know your password after you securely configure the console. Microsoft advises users not to share Microsoft account credentials, and its Xbox policies prohibit buying, selling, borrowing, trading, or sharing accounts.
Use these safeguards:
- Enter your credentials yourself on consoles you trust.
- Never send anyone your password or verification code.
- Enable two-step verification on the Microsoft account.
- Require a passkey or password for purchases and account changes.
- Remove payment methods if they do not need to remain on a shared console.
- Review signed-in devices and recent account activity regularly.
- Remove your account before selling, trading, or giving away a console.
A digital library can represent years of purchases. Saving money through sharing is not worth surrendering control of the Microsoft account that owns it.
Why Xbox game sharing may not be working
The game does not appear in the other profile’s library
Confirm the account that actually purchased the game is the one that designated the console as Home Xbox. Then open the owner’s full library and install the correct edition. Some titles have separate Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S versions.
The game shows an ownership or “Do you own this?” error
Check Xbox network status, subscription status, and whether the console still appears as the owner’s Home Xbox. On a non-home console, the purchasing account must usually be signed in and online.
Game Pass sharing stopped
Verify that the owner’s subscription remains active and that the game is still included in its catalog. Also confirm that the benefit is shareable on console; cloud access, perks, and account-specific bonuses do not automatically pass to another profile.
DLC works for one person but not the other
Confirm that the add-on is installed, matches the base game and platform edition, and is not consumable or account-specific. Virtual currency and some preorder or deluxe bonuses may remain with the account that redeemed them.
One player gets signed out when the other starts
Make sure the second player is launching the game with their own profile on the Home Xbox. Two people should not use the purchasing profile as their active player identity.
A replacement Xbox cannot be made home
You may have reached Microsoft’s Home Xbox change limit. The menu should display when the next change becomes available. If the account or old console may be compromised, secure the Microsoft account first rather than repeatedly changing licenses.
Is Xbox game sharing worth using?
Yes, for a trusted household with two consoles or several profiles on one console. Home Xbox is useful because it lets family members maintain their own saves and achievements while accessing eligible shared purchases and subscription games.
It is not a universal family plan, a transfer of ownership, or permission to trade credentials with strangers. Set one trusted console as home, keep the buyer’s account protected, and treat currencies, perks, cloud play, and third-party entitlements as account-specific unless the store explicitly says otherwise.
Quick answers
Does Xbox game sharing work on Series X and Series S?
Yes. Both consoles use the Home Xbox system for eligible digital games and console subscription benefits.
Can you have two Home Xbox consoles?
No. Each account can designate only one console as its Home Xbox at a time.
Do saves get shared?
No. Each profile keeps its own saves and achievements. Xbox cloud saves synchronize supported progress for the profile that created it.
Can you share disc games?
A physical disc can be lent, but Home Xbox does not convert it into a shareable digital license. The disc must be inserted in a compatible console to play.
Does Xbox game sharing give the other person ownership?
No. The purchasing account retains the license and can change its Home Xbox or lose access if the purchase, subscription, or catalog availability changes.
Instructions and licensing details were checked against official Xbox support information on October 20, 2026. Microsoft can change menu labels, subscription benefits, sharing limits, and license rules.
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