Digital Xbox gifts in 2025 – a quick guide for console and PC

Table of Content

Microsoft has refreshed its guidance for gifting digital games on Xbox and PC for 2025, laying out where and how the feature works across its storefronts. The process is available on Xbox consoles, the Xbox app on PC (including ROG Ally handhelds), the Microsoft Store on Windows, and via a web browser. The company clarifies delivery and redemption details, plus a key regional restriction. A short tutorial video accompanies the update for players who prefer a visual walkthrough.

What’s supported where

Gifting is consistent across Microsoft’s platforms, with a few notable differences. Below is the high-level view of how you can send a digital title, add-on, or subscription.

• Xbox console – choose a friend from your Xbox list or enter an email address.
• Xbox app on PC (including ROG Ally) – same options as console: Xbox friend or email.
• Web browser – email only.
• Microsoft Store on Windows – email only.

Gifting on Xbox console

On console, locate the game in the Microsoft Store and select the gift icon to open the “Buy as gift” flow. You can pick a recipient from your Xbox friends list or type an email address. The sender and recipient must be in the same country for the gift to be eligible.

Xbox app on PC (including ROG Ally)

In the Xbox app on PC, search for the game, open the options menu (“…”) and choose “Buy as gift”. You can send to an Xbox friend or to an email address. Microsoft notes this process is identical on ROG Ally when using the Store tab in the Xbox Full Screen Experience.

Gifting via web browser

On the web, the flow is similar but limited to email delivery. Find the game, add-on, or subscription you want to gift and use the “Buy as a gift” option found in the “…” menu next to the purchase button. Sign in, select a payment method, and complete the send.

Microsoft Store on Windows

Within the Microsoft Store on Windows, gifting is also email-only. Choose the title or subscription, select “Buy as a Gift” (the icon to the right of the purchase button), sign in, and finish the send.

Delivery, redemption, and limits

• Delivery method – recipients get a message on their Xbox console and to the email associated with their Xbox account.
• Redemption – recipients select “Redeem code” from the message to add the game or content to their library.
• Region rule – the sender and recipient must be in the same country.
• What you can gift – full games, add-ons, and subscriptions, including Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

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Watch the walkthrough

Official tutorial video:

More details and source note

Full rules and support guidance: https://support.xbox.com/en-US/help/subscriptions-billing/buy-games-apps/gifting-digital-xbox-game-help

This guidance was updated for 2025. The original article credit: Daniel Martins.

Why it matters – a cleaner way to share games

With consistent flows across console, PC, Windows, and the web, gifting digital games is straightforward and near-instant. Keep the same-country rule in mind, decide whether to send to a friend or email, and your recipient can be playing after a quick code redemption.