While Microsoft had a few bugs to work out with their digital gifting programs on Xbox One, it seems that the issues that limited the fairly new feature have now been resolved, allowing any game on the Xbox One or Windows 10 Microsoft Store to be purchased and then delivered to a friend. Yes, PC gamers have been invited to this party, so you can finally get your master race friend to check out Cuphead.
The feature was first announced and rolled out toward the last half of 2017, but in a limited capacity that meant that not every Xbox One title could be bought as a gift. This is a feature that Steam has had for a long time now, but competing companies like Nintendo and Sony either dropped or never had it.
Anyone who has a special gift in mind can head over to the store on their platform of choice, or the Microsoft Website and find that special game, choose to “Buy as Gift” and send it to an email address, or to a gamertag from console. From there, your friend receives a code and they’re set. We’ve included Microsoft’s instructions just below for the few caveats there are.
- Head over to the Microsoft Store on Windows 10, your Xbox One, or online, navigate to the product that you would like to purchase, select Buy as Gift, and enter the email address of the gift recipient. On Xbox One, you can choose a Gamertag from your list of Xbox Live friends.
- The gift recipient will receive a code for their product along with instructions on how to redeem the code. On Xbox One, gift recipients will receive a system message with a clickable redemption button.
- Gift purchasers can only buy two discounted products – and a total of 10 discounted products – every 14 days. There are no limits for gift purchases made at full price.
- Gifting of Xbox 360 and Xbox original games, pre-orders, free products, and consumable downloadable game content such as virtual currency is not allowed.
