Can You Gift a Steam or Xbox Game? Every Way to Send One This Holiday

The options side by side

How to gift a game on Steam

To a Steam friend

1. Open the game's Steam store page.
2. Choose to buy it as a gift and pick the person from your friends list.
3. Pay. Since July 2026, if your friend is in another region, Steam charges the price for their region, per coverage of Valve's announcement.
4. Your friend accepts the gift in Steam.

By email, with or without a Steam account

Valve's July 2026 update expanded guest checkout so anyone can buy a game and send it to an email address without signing in to Steam, according to The Verge and AlternativeTo.

• The recipient gets an email with a link to sign in and accept the gift.
• AlternativeTo reports that a gift left unaccepted for 30 days is automatically refunded.
• You do not need to know the recipient's Steam account name.

This is the easiest way for a parent or relative who does not use Steam to send a game.

How to gift a game on Xbox

From Xbox Wire's holiday guide:

On console

1. Open the Microsoft Store and find the game.
2. Select the gift wrap icon to open Buy as gift.
3. Pick someone from your friends list or type an email address. Xbox says: "Make sure the person receiving the gift is in the same country as you."
4. Choose a payment option. Your friend gets a message on their console and by email, then selects "Redeem code."

In the Xbox app on PC Find the game, open the "..." menu and pick Buy as Gift. You can send to an Xbox friend or an email address.

In a web browser or the Microsoft Store on Windows Same flow, but you only get the email option.

You can also gift add-ons and subscriptions, such as Game Pass Ultimate, the same way.

If the game is Xbox Play Anywhere, the recipient can play it on Xbox and Windows PC. Otherwise, check whether the gift is for console or PC. See Does an Xbox key work on PC?

Gifting with a key

A key is a code you can put in a card or a message. Before you buy one as a gift:

1. Platform. Steam keys only work on Steam. Xbox keys work on Xbox, and on PC only for Xbox Play Anywhere games.
2. Region. Match the key's region to the recipient's account, not yours. A key that is wrong for their region may not redeem.
3. Seller type. Official stores and authorized resellers carry less risk than marketplaces where third-party sellers list keys. Our Black Friday key safety checklist covers it.
4. Refund rules. Many key stores do not refund once the key is revealed. Valve "cannot provide refunds for purchases made outside of Steam." Do not reveal the code until you are ready to give it.

To redeem, the recipient follows how to redeem a Steam key or how to redeem an Xbox code. For the difference between a key, a gift and an account, see Steam key vs gift vs account.

AskLoot compares PC and Xbox key offers, shows key type and region, adds known fees, and labels grey market sellers. It does not cover every game.

Region limits, in plain terms

• Steam, friends: cross-region allowed since July 2026, at the recipient's regional price.
• Steam, email: check Valve's rules for country limits before you send.
• Xbox Buy as gift: same country only, per Xbox.
• Keys and gift cards: region on the product must work for the recipient's account.
• Never use a VPN to buy or redeem a gift in another region. Microsoft's Store terms prohibit location masking, and Steam's Subscriber Agreement allows Valve to terminate accounts that disguise their location.

Sources

All checked on 2026-11-02.

• Xbox Wire, "How to Buy a Digital Game as a Gift This Holiday" (December 5, 2025; Buy as gift on console, Xbox app, web, Microsoft Store; same country): https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2025/12/05/how-to-buy-a-digital-game-as-a-gift-this-holiday-2025/
• Valve, Steam News, "Gifting made easier" (July 2026): https://store.steampowered.com/news/app/593110/view/669497052089025104
• The Verge, "It's now easier to gift Steam games, even if you don't have an account" (July 22, 2026): https://www.theverge.com/games/969566/its-now-easier-to-gift-steam-games-even-if-you-dont-have-an-account
• AlternativeTo, "Steam expands guest checkout for game gifts, cross-region and wishlist upgrades" (July 29, 2026): https://alternativeto.net/news/2026/7/steam-expands-guest-checkout-for-game-gifts-cross-region-and-wishlist-upgrades/
• Microsoft, Gift Terms and Conditions (Digital Goods): https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/b/giftterms
• Valve, Steam Refunds: https://store.steampowered.com/steam_refunds/
• Valve, Steam Subscriber Agreement: https://store.steampowered.com/subscriber_agreement/
• Microsoft Store Terms of Sale, US: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/store/b/terms-of-sale
• Xbox, "Xbox Play Anywhere": https://www.xbox.com/en-US/games/xbox-play-anywhere

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