How to Play Family Shared Games from Steam on GeForce NOW

Steam Family Share + GeForce NOW

Update: September 11, 2024

As of today, Steam Families is no longer in beta, and every Steam user can access it. This means that after step two, you won’t need to follow the guide. Just make sure your friends/family have the game you want to play, and mark it as owned on GeForce NOW. After launching the game, it should work just fine!


With the amount of games being released, it’s very hard to keep up. Sometimes, it is impossible to purchase and enjoy all the latest releases. Thankfully, Valve knows this and has provided Steam users with a Family function that enables its users to share their libraries of games. Imagine your family member or friend has purchased, for example, Black Myth: Wukong, and you want to play it via GeForce NOW. Well, you can!

If you want to play Family Shared games from your Steam library on GeForce NOW, there’s a way to bypass the usual sync function and get those games running smoothly. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Mark the Shared Game as Owned on GeForce NOW

Start by marking the shared game as owned on GeForce NOW. This allows the platform to recognize the game in your library without needing to sync it with Steam.

Syncing Your Steam Library

Step 2: Launch the Game and Close the No License Found Message

Once the game is marked as owned, launch it through GeForce NOW. You’ll likely encounter a “No licenses” message—close this pop-up to proceed.

Step 3: Enable Steam Families Beta

For PC Users

Next, go into Steam’s settings. Under the Interface section, enable the Steam Families Beta option. This feature is essential for recognizing family-shared games in a cloud gaming environment.

Steam Settings
Steam Settings

For Mobile Users

Once Steam launches, and you’ve closed the “No licenses” pop-up. Press B to bring up the Steam menu. Navigate to Settings, then System, and enable Steam Families Beta under the Beta Participation dropdown.

Steam Settings Mobile
Steam Settings Mobile

Step 4: Wait for Steam to Restart

After enabling the Steam Families Beta, Steam will restart automatically. Wait for the process to complete before moving on to the next step.

Step 5: Launch the Game Again

With everything set up, you can now launch the game once more through GeForce NOW. The game should start without any issues, allowing you to enjoy it via family sharing.

Steam Screenshot

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Adrià MA

Adrià is a freelance graphic designer who enjoys playing video games and writing about them. A Nintendo fan at heart that enjoys the benefits of cloud gaming and loves its amazing community. As an Editor, Adrià covers news and more at Cloud Dosage.

4 thoughts on “How to Play Family Shared Games from Steam on GeForce NOW

    1. Does it mention any specific error or issue? Make sure the game is being shared, and no one else is currently playing.

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