Buying video games for friends on PC just got more flexible. Valve rolled out a series of updates to Steam's gifting and wishlist systems, removing several long-standing friction points that previously required recipients to be added as platform friends.
Quick Facts
- Gift games and digital gift cards using only an email address, even if it does not match the recipient's Steam account.
- Guest checkout now supports digital game gifts without requiring the sender to have a Steam account.
- Cross-region gifting is now supported if you know the recipient's Steam account.
- Wishlists can now be organized into categories, and specific categories can be shared with others.
- Gifts can be selected and purchased directly from shared wishlists.
What Changed with Steam Gifting
Previously, sending a digital game to someone on Steam required asking for their account name and adding them to your friends list first. Under the updated system, you can send games and digital gift cards using just an email address. Senders can complete purchases via guest checkout without logging into a Steam account, an option previously restricted to hardware and digital gift card purchases.
Cross-region gifting is also supported. Senders must know the recipient's Steam account to use this feature, and the purchase price automatically adjusts to match the regional pricing of the recipient's storefront.
Wishlist Categories and Direct Purchases
Alongside gifting changes, Steam users can now sort wishlist items into distinct categories. When sharing a wishlist, users have the option to share a single category rather than their entire list—such as a holiday or birthday selection. Furthermore, friends and family can select and purchase gifts directly from these shared wishlists.
The changes arrive following the recent retirement of physical Steam gift cards, which Valve discontinued due to fraud concerns.