Xbox One Store Gaining Gift Giving Capability

Microsoft has announced plans to add something that many people have wanted for a long time to the Xbox One store. That new something is the ability to give digital versions of games as gifts. The announcement of the coming feature came via Microsoft’s Mike Ybarra, who is Xbox vice president via twitter today.

Ybarra stopped short of specifically saying when the feature will land. The ability to give digital games to friends is a big deal when it comes to gift giving during holidays, birthdays and other special occasions. At this time neither Microsoft nor Sony offer the ability to gift games via their online stores.

PC gamers on the other hand have the ability to gift games to friends via Steam. The Verge reports that the ability to give games as gifts has been a highly requested feature by Xbox One gamers. A post requesting the feature on the Xbox feedback site has nearly 5,000 votes over the last three years.

Since Ybarra didn’t offer any timeframe for the new feature to launch it’s a mystery for now. However, Gamescom does kick off next month and that might be a good place for Sony to unveil the gift giving service and get it in place in time for the holiday shopping season.