Xbox Family Plan: How to Share Game Pass with Your Household
Paying for multiple Xbox Game Pass subscriptions in one house can quickly become a massive monthly expense. While Microsoft has experimented with an official “Friends & Family” plan, the availability of this tier remains limited in 2026. However, you can still share your benefits with everyone in your home for free using the “Home Xbox” feature.
The “Home Xbox” Sharing Strategy
This is the “secret” to sharing a single [Xbox Game Pass Ultimate](https://support.xbox.com/en-US/help/subscriptions-billing/manage-subscriptions/share-xbox-live-gold-subscription) subscription across two different consoles. By designating one console as your “Home” device, you grant every other profile on that machine access to your full library and online benefits.
How to Set Up Sharing (Step-by-Step)
1 Sign In: Log into the console you want to share your games with (e.g., your child’s or roommate’s Xbox) using the account that has the active subscription.
2 Navigate to Settings: Go to Settings > General > Personalization.
3 Make it Home: Select “My home Xbox” and then click “Make this my home Xbox.”
4 Switch Profiles: You can now sign out of your account on that console. Any other user who signs into that specific machine will now have access to your Game Pass games, even if you aren’t logged in.
What Exactly Gets Shared?
| Feature | Shared with Family? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Game Pass Library | ✅ Yes | Includes all downloadable games. |
| Online Multiplayer | ✅ Yes | Core/Ultimate online play is shared. |
| Purchased Digital Games | ✅ Yes | Any game you bought digitally is shared. |
| Cloud Gaming | ❌ No | Cloud gaming is tied strictly to the owner’s profile. |
| EA Play / Ubisoft+ | ✅ Yes | Shared on console via the Home Xbox setting. |
The Two-Console “Loophole”
Because you can play your own games on any console where you are signed in, and others can play your games on your Home console, you can actually play the same game at the same time with a family member using just one subscription.
- Console A (Home): Your child or friend plays on their own profile.
- Console B (Not Home): You play while signed into your profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
Microsoft allows you to change your Home Xbox five times in a one-year period. This limit resets on a rolling basis from the date of your first change.
Sharing on PC is more restrictive. While you can log into the Microsoft Store with the “Main” account and the Xbox App with a “Family” account, it can often lead to DRM errors and is not officially supported like console sharing.
Yes. Whether you have [Game Pass Essential, Premium, or Ultimate](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vifzz6hZijU), the Home Xbox sharing rules remain the same for console users.