Steam is a popular digital distribution platform developed by Valve that allows you to purchase, play and manage PC games. One of Steam’s key features is the ability to link your Steam account to other gaming accounts and services for added functionality.
Linked accounts allow you to do things like track achievements, play with friends, and even share games between different platforms. For example, you can link your Steam account to services like PlayStation Network or Xbox Live to bring those friends lists and achievements over to Steam.
Viewing Your Linked Accounts
Viewing your currently linked accounts on Steam is easy. Just follow these steps:
- Open the Steam client and click on your username in the top right corner
- Select “View my profile” from the dropdown menu
- In your profile page, click on “Edit profile”
- On the right side you will see a box titled “Linked Accounts”
This Linked Accounts box will show all of the accounts you have connected to your Steam profile. Most major gaming services will show their logo here when linked.
Linking New Accounts
If you need to link additional gaming accounts to Steam, you can do so through the Linked Accounts section of your Steam profile:
- Follow steps 1-3 above to get to your profile’s Edit Profile page
- Under the Linked Accounts box, click “Add account”
- A popup will show various gaming services and platforms to link
- Click the logo of the service you want to link and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the link
Some of the major services you can link include PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, Nintendo Switch, EA Origin, Uplay, GOG Galaxy and more. The process for linking varies slightly depending on the service but usually involves signing into that service from Steam to complete the link.
Unlinking Accounts
If at any point you want to unlink a connected gaming service from your Steam profile, you can do so right from the Linked Accounts box:
- Go to your Steam profile page and click “Edit Profile”
- Under the Linked Accounts box, click the “X” next to the service you want to unlink
- A confirmation popup will appear. Click “Unlink account” to confirm.
The service logo will disappear from your Linked Accounts box once fully unlinked. This can come in handy if you no longer want certain achievement or friend data syncing between Steam and another platform.
Linking Benefits
Here are some of the major benefits you get from linking accounts on Steam:
- Shared Friends – See which of your friends from other services also play on Steam.
- Achievements – Unlock achievements on Steam for games played on other platforms.
- Game Transfer – Some games become available on Steam once linked to accounts that own them.
- Cross-Platform Play – Play multiplayer games with friends across different systems.
- Inventory Transfer – Move in-game items between platforms through linked accounts.
PlayStation Network
Linking your PlayStation Network account provides these benefits:
- See which PSN friends also play games on Steam
- Unlock PS4/PS5 trophies through Steam
- Access PlayStation exclusive DLC through Steam
- Cross-play support in games like Rocket League
To link a PSN account:
- Go to Linked Accounts and select PlayStation Network
- Sign into PSN through Steam to complete the link
Xbox Live
Linking Xbox Live provides these features:
- See your Xbox Live friends on Steam
- View Xbox achievements on Steam
- Cross-play support in games like Halo Infinite
- Play Anywhere titles shared between Xbox and PC
To link an Xbox Live account:
- Go to Linked Accounts and choose Xbox Live
- Enter your Microsoft account details to link it
Nintendo Switch
Connecting your Nintendo account lets you:
- Add Nintendo Switch friends through Steam
- Sync play time between Switch and Steam
- Cross-play games like Rocket League
To link your Nintendo account:
- Go to Linked Accounts and select Nintendo Switch
- Sign into your Nintendo account to complete the link
EA Origin
Linking EA Origin provides:
- Import Origin friends to Steam
- Access to Origin DLCs and bonuses in Steam games
- Sync achievements and playtime between Origin and Steam
To link EA Origin:
- Go to Linked Accounts and choose Origin
- Enter your Origin account details
Uplay
Connecting your Uplay account lets you:
- See Uplay friends through Steam
- Unlock Uplay rewards points through Steam gameplay
- Sync games, saves, and achievements between platforms
To link Uplay:
- Go to Linked Accounts and select Uplay
- Sign into your Uplay account to complete the link
GOG Galaxy
Linking GOG Galaxy provides:
- See GOG friends on Steam
- Sync GOG playtime to Steam
- Combine libraries from both platforms
- Cross-play support
To link GOG Galaxy:
- Go to Linked Accounts and choose GOG Galaxy
- Enter your GOG account credentials to complete the link
Troubleshooting Tips
If you’re having issues getting accounts linked, try these troubleshooting tips:
- Make sure you are logged into the correct Steam account before attempting to link
- Double check that your login credentials for the other platform are correct
- Verify both accounts are using the same email address
- Confirm you have a strong internet connection during the process
- Check that you don’t already have that account linked to a different Steam profile
- Restart the Steam client and try linking again
In most cases, being signed into the right accounts with the correct details should allow successful linking. Contact Steam Support if issues persist.
Important Restrictions
There are some restrictions to keep in mind when linking accounts:
- Most accounts can only be linked to one Steam profile at a time
- Account linking can only be done by the account owner
- Some transferred games may need to be re-purchased on Steam
- Accounts can only be unlinked once per year in some cases
- Items transferred between accounts may be bound and non-tradeable
Make sure to review the specific rules for each service before attempting to link accounts.
Conclusion
Linking accounts on Steam provides many advantages and opens up functionality with other gaming services. It allows you to consolidate friends lists, track achievements across platforms, enables cross-play with wider communities, shares DLC access and can even transfer games between libraries.
Linking accounts is easy to do through the Linked Accounts section of your Steam profile. Just select the service you want to connect, sign in with the appropriate credentials and the accounts will be linked.
Common services to link with Steam include PlayStation Network, Xbox Live, Nintendo Switch, EA Origin, Uplay and GOG Galaxy. Each linked account provides its own set of useful features.
With so many benefits, it’s worth taking the time to link up the rest of your gaming accounts to Steam. This connectivity opens up whole new ways to play that aren’t possible when platforms are separate.