It's the single most reported gaming problem among Canadian parents: you buy a digital game, your child goes to play it on their own profile, and instead of starting, the game shows a lock icon — or the console asks you to buy it all over again. Nothing is broken, and you haven't wasted your money. This is a known issue with a known cause, and it's almost always fixed in a couple of minutes.

This guide explains exactly why the "locked game" and "buy it again" problem happens, and how to fix it on PlayStation, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and Steam Deck. By the end you'll know the one setting that solves it on each platform.

What's Actually Going On

Digital games are tied to the account that bought them, not to the console itself. So when your child opens the game on their own profile, the console checks: "Is this device allowed to play games owned by the buyer's account?" If you haven't told the console yes, it locks the game or assumes a new purchase is needed.

The fix on every platform is the same idea: designate one console as the shared or primary device for the purchasing account. Once that's set, every profile on that console can play the buyer's digital library — usually even offline. The names differ by platform, but the concept is identical.

Key Terms in One Minute

The parent account is the adult account that buys the games. A child account or profile is the kid's separate sign-in. The primary / home / shared console is the one device set up to share the buyer's digital games with every profile on it. And parental controls can independently block a game by age rating — which sometimes looks like a "locked" game even when sharing is set up correctly.

Fixing It on PlayStation (PS5 & PS4)

The Setting You Need

On PS5 it's Console Sharing and Offline Play; on PS4 it's Activate as Your Primary PS4.

Step by Step

1. Sign in with the account that bought the game.
2. PS5: go to Settings > Users and Accounts > Other > Console Sharing and Offline Play and choose Enable.
3. PS4: go to Settings > Account Management > Activate as Your Primary PS4 and choose Activate.
4. Switch to your child's profile and open the game from the Game Library.

If it's still locked, double-check that the game was bought by the account you just enabled sharing for.

Fixing It on Xbox (Series X|S & Xbox One)

The Setting You Need

Set the console as your Home Xbox.

Step by Step

1. Sign in with the account that owns the game.
2. Press the Xbox button and go to Profile & system > Settings > General > Personalization > My home Xbox.
3. Select Make this my home Xbox.
4. Sign in to the child's profile and open the game from My games & apps (check Full library if it isn't on the home screen).

If it's still missing, confirm Family Settings aren't hiding it by age rating.

Fixing It on Nintendo Switch

The Setting You Need

The console must be the primary console for the account that bought the digital game.

Step by Step

1. The first console signed in to a Nintendo Account is normally its primary console, and all profiles on it can play that account's digital games.
2. If you have more than one Switch, make the console the kids use most the primary one for the purchasing account.
3. Download the game with the purchasing account, then switch to your child's profile to play.

Remember: physical cartridges never have this problem — they play on any profile and any Switch.

Fixing It on Steam Deck

The Setting You Need

Both accounts must be in the same Steam Family, and the game must be eligible for sharing.

Step by Step

1. Sign in with the account that owns the games and set up a Steam Family.
2. Add your child's own Steam account to the family.
3. Have your child sign in and open the shared library to install eligible games.

If the game still asks to be bought, it may rely on an external launcher, separate subscription, or special key that isn't shareable.

Still Locked? Check These Four Things

If the right sharing setting is on and the game is still locked, the cause is almost always one of these: the wrong account is signed in, the game is blocked by the child's age limit in parental controls, a required subscription has expired, or the game never finished downloading. Work through them in that order and you'll find it.

Accessories That Prevent the Headache

Prevent-It-Next-Time Checklist

• Always buy games on the parent account.
• Set the family console as primary / Home Xbox / shared device for that account.
• Give each child their own profile and child account.
• Configure parental controls and set age limits that match each child.
• Keep required subscriptions active.
• Make sure games finish downloading before launching.
• Add storage if the console is running low on space.
• Use a strong password and two-step verification on the parent account.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my child's game show a lock icon?

The console isn't set as the primary, home, or shared device for the account that bought the game, or the wrong account is signed in. Enable the sharing setting for your platform and try again.

Why is the console asking me to buy a game I already own?

Same cause: the sharing setting isn't enabled, or (on Steam) the game isn't shareable. Fix the setting before buying a second copy.

I enabled sharing but it's still locked — why?

Check that the correct account is signed in, that parental controls aren't blocking it by age, that any subscription is active, and that the game finished downloading.

Does this work offline?

On most platforms, once the console is set as primary/home, profiles can play downloaded digital games offline. On a secondary device, the purchasing account usually must be signed in and online.

Can two kids play the same shared game at once?

On consoles, profiles on the same primary/home console can each play your library. On Steam, a shared title generally can't be played by two family members at the same time.

Do physical games ever get locked like this?

No. Disc and cartridge games play on any profile with the disc or cartridge inserted — no account setup required.

Summary

The "locked game" or "buy it again" message is the most common console sharing problem Canadian families face, and it has a simple cause: the console hasn't been told to share the buyer's digital games. Enable Console Sharing on PlayStation, set your Home Xbox, confirm your primary Switch, or join a Steam Family — then check account, age limits, subscription, and download status if it persists. A two-minute setting almost always fixes it.

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