Sharing is golden on Xbox One

Microsoft’s Xbox One will allow digital game sharing with the Home Gold program. Marc Whitten, Chief Product Officer, posted the announcement that clarifies game sharing and the Home Gold system. Digital games and media purchased on your Xbox One can be played by anyone who signs in on your console with their gamertag. An “unlimited” number of people can create accounts on your Home console and benefit from your Gold membership while they use your hardware, including multiplayer gaming. Additionally, the accounts will remain separate for recommendations and friends lists.

With Xbox One everyone in your home has a personalized account, which will enable powerful and personal experiences, and that’s one of the reasons why we wanted to create Home Gold. It means that your account and your gamertag are truly yours. You don’t have to share your gamertag for multiplayer gaming with others in your home, or see recommendations for your kid’s cartoons next to the recommended first-person shooter for you. It also means that you can introduce new games and enjoy multiplayer with friends while they are at your house. Last but not least, it also means that when you buy one Xbox Live Gold membership, multiple people can enjoy the best benefits of Xbox Live Gold on your Xbox One at no additional charge.

On the Xbox 360, multiple people in a household can share digital games on a console, but must purchase separate Gold subscriptions for multiplayer gaming. Microsoft used to offer a Gold Family Pack but this program was discontinued in March.