Gamers have embraced the ability to give away digital games as gifts since Steam introduced the concept years ago, especially during holidays. It was initially only possible on PC as consoles like the PS4 and Xbox One were lacking this now-essential feature used by many gamers. That was the case until recently, that is. Microsoft has announced that players can now send digital games as gifts on both the Xbox One and PC.
The company revealed the news on Xbox Wire earlier today. To clarify, the Microsoft Store actually introduced the ability to send digital gifts last fall but it was limited to select Xbox One digital games, Xbox One downloadable game content, as well as Xbox Live Gold and Xbox Game Pass subscriptions. That changes starting today as digital gifting has been expanded to include PC games and DLC, as well as all Xbox One games.
Xbox One PC Digital Gifting: How To Send Digital Gifts
It’s quite simple for players to send digital gifts in the Microsoft Store as they simply need to navigate to the product they wish to purchase and select the “Buy as Gift” option. They will then need to enter the email address of the gift’s recipient. Alternatively, Xbox One users can choose a Gamertag from their list of Xbox Live friends. Next, the intended recipient will receive a code for the product along with instructions on how to redeem the gift. Gift recipients on the Xbox One will receive a system message with a clickable redemption button.
Xbox One PC Digital Gifting: What are the rules and limitations?
There are a few limitations and rules in place to keep digital gifting in check. Players can only purchase two discounted gifts at one time and a total of 10 for every 14 days. Full-priced products have no limits. Although all PC and Xbox One products are eligible as gifts, exceptions include Xbox 360 and original Xbox games, pre-orders, free products, and consumable DLC such as virtual currency. Similar to Steam, recipients can only redeem gifts in the country or region where they were purchased.
In other related news, Microsoft and Xbox are finally making up for some of the ground they’ve lost since launching the Xbox One in 2013. They recently revealed the milestones they have achieved in the past year, as well as their plans for more Japanese developer and publisher support at E3 2018.
