Steam Account Inheritance: Passing On a Game Library
TimeWill · Updated 2026-06-19
Steam's Terms of Service explicitly prohibit account transfers, but in practice your family still needs the password to handle anything. Family Sharing is a workaround: enable it while you are alive and share your library with your family. Another route is to encrypt and store the account password so your family can sign in afterward to play or transfer it to a friend. Since most game libraries have real value, add a short asset list noting the main platforms and anything rare. Console platforms follow similar rules, and most support some form of family sharing. Keep the list somewhere your family will actually look.
A Steam library with hundreds of games, thousands spent on Honor of Kings skins, thousands of hours logged in your PlayStation save files, these aren't things you just throw away. Your child might simply want to play your favorite game or look through your save files. The catch: they have to be able to sign in to your account.
Family Sharing Is Something You Can Do Right Now
In Steam, go to Settings, Family, Manage Family Library Sharing, and check your family members' accounts. Once Family Sharing is on, your library appears in your family's Steam client. You don't need to give them the password, as long as your account is active the sharing stays in effect. But if you're no longer around, the account may be frozen for inactivity, so you should hand over the password too.
Each platform treats this differently
- Steam — The Terms of Service forbid account transfers, but the company never actively polices use within a household; Family Sharing plus the password is the practical route
- PlayStation / Xbox — Accounts are non-transferable, but both let you set a console as primary so others in the household can share the library
- Nintendo — Family groups are allowed, up to eight accounts, and games can be shared with household members
- Mobile games — Most bind to a phone number or WeChat / QQ, so the account follows the login method, and the verified identity cannot be changed
How to write a game asset list
Your family has no idea what is in your library, or which parts are valuable. Write a short list: the main platform accounts, an estimated total value, any rare items or skins worth transferring, and who to ask for help with them. Keep the list and the account passwords together in your password vault, so your family can follow it step by step.
If an account is also bound to a payment method, such as a Steam wallet or in-app purchases, handle that at the same time — see WeChat and Alipay Inheritance. For the full checklist, see Digital Identity After Death.
FAQ
Q: Is a Steam account legally considered an inheritance?
Legally it counts as virtual property and is protected under Article 127 of China's Civil Code. But Steam's Terms of Service forbid account transfers, and there's no court precedent yet. The most practical approach is to hand over the password and enable Family Sharing, so until the platform changes its policy your family can at least use the games.
Q: What about Switch, PSN, and Xbox accounts?
The three major console platforms have similar policies: accounts are for personal use and can't be transferred. But Nintendo allows family groups, and PSN and Xbox both support family sharing. Set up family sharing while you're still around, so your games can at least be played within the household.
Q: My in-game items and skins are worth thousands. Can they be sold?
In theory, yes. Once your family has the password, they can ask a friend who knows gaming to help: Steam trading, Fantasy Westward Journey items, and Honor of Kings skins can all be transferred. But your family won't know what these things are worth, so it's best to write up a game asset list with approximate values.
References & Notes
- Steam 用户协议：账号不可转让；家庭共享可用于同一家庭成员