You may have seen advice on how to share your Xbox One’s digital games with your friends. But Microsoft doesn’t intend for you to share your game library when you’re not there. Doing so puts you at risk.
A Brief History of Xbox One Promises
When Microsoft first announced the Xbox One, it came with the promise of next-generation features and would require a dedicated internet connection that allowed the console to phone home every 24 hours. In exchange, Microsoft promised that you could play games without inserting the disc (after the first time) and share your digital game library with friends.
The 24-hour check-in was a necessary evil to make those features happen—especially the ability to play your disc-bought games without putting the disc into the Xbox. If you gave away or sold your disc, your Xbox would eventually know you didn’t own the game anymore and would not let you play the digital copy anymore.
Unfortunately, Microsoft bungled the marketing and failed mightily at damage control. Gamers weren’t happy with a required internet connection, and Microsoft didn’t handle itself well when those gamers made their displeasure loudly known. Sony, on the other hand, put on a masterclass in capitalizing on another company’s missteps.
In the end, Microsoft capitulated and revoked the internet phone home requirement entirely. But, with that concession, it also removed the other great promises. Gamers would have to insert discs, and they couldn’t share their digital libraries. Effectively, the Xbox One now works exactly like the Xbox 360 when it comes to buying, selling, and using games.
Don’t Mark Your Friend’s Xbox as Your Home Xbox
The most common advice for sharing your library is pretty straight forward. Go to your friend’s house, add your Microsoft account to their Xbox, and mark that Xbox as your home Xbox. In fairness, this will work and give your friend permanent access to your digital library. But the downsides and risks outweigh the benefits.
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