1 steam account, 2 computers, will it work?

[xwrench3]

so i just got a (pretty nice i might add) hand me down computer, that i am leaving on the main floor of our home. my basement computer, which is where i normally game, has been set up on steam for some time, and worked fine. the key word there, is WORKED. now, steam will not let me sign in for some reason. do i NEED to have a separate account for each computer? do i have to log out of steam on one, before i can log in on the other one? is there something else i need to do to make this work? thanks

[Flying Sausages]

Steam account on 1st computer can be online while Steam account on 2nd computer cannot be online. You can use one steam account for two computers but only Steam account on computer can be online.

[TheInfinityBacon]

You can use your steam account on more than one computer, but only one of them can be used at a time. For example, you cannot be playing a game on one computer (with your account) while another person plays on the other computer (also with your account).

[Kilrah]

That's wrong, you can be logged in in multiple places, has been like that for several years as it's how you can stream games. You can't play at 2 places at the same time, but the client can be open in as many as you want.

[Mark Kaine]

On 12/28/2019 at 9:04 PM, OlympicAssEater said:

Steam account on 1st computer can be online while Steam account on 2nd computer cannot be online. You can use one steam account for two computers but only Steam account on computer can be online.

Wrong!     you can be online with 2 computers and 1 account -  how else would you even stream a game from one pc to another? 

 

 

You just cannot play the *same* game at the *same* time on *both* computers. 

 

(atm not sure about playing two different games but I think it should work actually) 

 

 

Don't worry,  coming from consoles I thought the same as you until someone told me it ain't so, and I tried it out and it works - same network and all,  no issues whatsoever!

[Mark Kaine]

On 12/28/2019 at 9:05 PM, Kilrah said:

That's wrong, you can be logged in in multiple places, has been like that for several years as it's how you can stream games. You can't play at 2 places at the same time, but the client can be open in as many as you want.

Can't you play 2 different games at the same time tho?  I mean I don't see why not lol  

 

Edit: maybe Steam doesn't allow two different games open in the same client tho

[PlayStation 2]

32 minutes ago, Mark Kaine said:

Can't you play 2 different games at the same time tho?  I mean I don't see why not lol  

 

Edit: maybe Steam doesn't allow two different games open in the same client tho

Steam only allows one client to play a game, while any amount of people can be logged into that one account.

[Flying Sausages]

38 minutes ago, Mark Kaine said:

Wrong!     you can be online with 2 computers and 1 account -  how else would you even stream a game from one pc to another? 

 

 

You just cannot play the *same* game at the *same* time on *both* computers. 

 

(atm not sure about playing two different games but I think it should work actually) 

 

 

Don't worry,  coming from consoles I thought the same as you until someone told me it ain't so, and I tried it out and it works - same network and all,  no issues whatsoever!

I asked Steam that question a long time ago and that is what the support replied to my ticket said. Steam customer support said one steam account can be login to multiple computers but only one computer with steam account can be online and play multiplayer games.

[Mark Kaine]

2 hours ago, OlympicAssEater said:

but only one computer with steam account can be online and play multiplayer games.

Well,  half of that is true! You can definitely be online with multiple computers on the same account 

 

 

2 hours ago, handymanshandle said:

Steam only allows one client to play a game, while any amount of people can be logged into that one account.

 

Yeah, I see. I wonder what about remote play together tho?  That would make a lot of sense to work,  but I'm not sure either. 

 

I mean it's cool and all but that seems a bit restrictive? 

[Kilrah]

6 hours ago, Mark Kaine said:

Can't you play 2 different games at the same time tho?  I mean I don't see why not lol  

No you can't, obviously becasue otherwise people would share accounts instead of buying games.

[Mark Kaine]

2 hours ago, Kilrah said:

No you can't, obviously becasue otherwise people would share accounts instead of buying games.

Well that's #Steam logic for you though, because people do just that with "family sharing"...

 

But I get it Steam has at least to make it look like they're trying lol...

[Kilrah]

A particular game is only playable through family sharing if the publisher allows it.

[Mikha]

On 12/30/2019 at 5:33 PM, Kilrah said:

No you can't, obviously becasue otherwise people would share accounts instead of buying games.

Hi,I know this comment are 2 years ago....I don't know if you'll reply or not but hope so...what if the devices logged in into a Steam account set to offline mode?Can they play the game(different game/same game)at the same time?

[Avocado Diaboli]

15 minutes ago, Mikha said:

Hi,I know this comment are 2 years ago....I don't know if you'll reply or not but hope so...what if the devices logged in into a Steam account set to offline mode?Can they play the game(different game/same game)at the same time?

It can work. I have my Steam library shared with my partner and when she plays a game from my library and I put Steam into offline mode on my PC, I can play my games just fine. Only downside is that Steam's other functions don't work, like tracking time and achievements, if you even care about those things in the first place.