On Xbox, game sharing works through your home Xbox. When you set a console as your home Xbox, anyone who signs in to it can play your digital games and use your Xbox Game Pass subscription, even when you’re not signed in. This guide explains how home Xbox works, how to set or change it, and what can and can’t be shared on Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One.
How game sharing works on Xbox
When you first install a digital game on your home Xbox, the console gets a licence for it from the Xbox network. That licence is tied to your home Xbox and doesn’t expire unless you change your home Xbox. It means:
- Friends and family who sign in to your home Xbox with their own Xbox profile can play your games, even when you’re not signed in.
- Anyone who signs in to your home Xbox can use your Game Pass subscription.
- You can play your digital games on your home Xbox when you’re offline.
You can only have one home Xbox at a time.
How to set your home Xbox
- Sign in to the console you want to use as your home Xbox.
- Press the Xbox button on your controller to open the guide.
- Select Profile & system > Settings > General > Personalisation, then select My home Xbox.
- Select Make this my home Xbox.
If you add your account to a console and don’t choose Lock it down during setup, that console automatically becomes your home Xbox.
How to remove a console as your home Xbox
- On the console, press the Xbox button to open the guide.
- Select Profile & system > Settings > General > Personalisation > My home Xbox.
- Select Make this my home Xbox, then select Remove this as my home Xbox.
You can only switch five times a year. You can change your home Xbox up to five times in any one-year period. If you hit the limit, the My home Xbox screen shows the next date you can change it. Customer support can’t give you extra switches.
What happens when you switch your home Xbox
- Your shared licences stop working for other people on your old home console. They can only play your games there while you’re signed in online on that console.
- Offline play moves to your new home console.
- Redownloading or launching a game on the new home console registers its licence to that console, so it works offline.
If you’ve moved from Xbox One to Xbox Series X|S, remember to make your new console your home Xbox. Xbox never changes your home Xbox for you, but if you reset your console and remove everything, you’ll need to set it again.
What you can and can’t share
Anyone who signs in to your home Xbox can use:
- Games and downloadable content from the Microsoft Store
- Games from an Xbox Game Pass subscription
Some items are tied to your account and can’t always be shared, for example:
- Game-specific content bought with in-game currency
- In-game currency itself
- Some pre-order bonuses and special edition content that can only be redeemed once
Playing your games on someone else’s Xbox
You don’t need to change your home Xbox to play on a second console or a friend’s console. Sign in with your Microsoft account on that console while it’s connected to the Xbox network, and everyone on it can enjoy your games and your Game Pass subscription while you’re signed in.
- On the other console, sign in with your Microsoft account and connect to the Xbox network.
- Go to My games & apps > Games.
- If the game isn’t installed, highlight it, press the Menu button and select Install.
- Once it’s installed, select the game, then select Play.
A game you leave installed on another person’s console won’t work for them unless they also own it.
FAQ
Can two consoles play the same game from one purchase at the same time?
Each Xbox console needs its own digital or disc copy of a game. If other people in your home want to play the same game with you on other consoles, each console needs its own copy.
Can I share Ubisoft+ benefits through home Xbox?
No. Home console sharing isn’t allowed for Ubisoft+ benefits. See our guide to linking a Ubisoft account to Xbox Game Pass for more on Ubisoft subscriptions.
For the full details, see How home Xbox and game sharing work.
