Microsoft will launch Xbox One software version 1810 at the end of this month. The biggest addition will be the company’s Xbox Live Avatar system. In recent weeks, Microsoft has been ramping up towards the release of the new avatars. The latest announcement is the ability to gift avatar items to other users in the Microsoft Store.
In a Windows Blog announcement, Microsoft says users are not able to also gift applications on the Microsoft Store. The company has expanded its digital gifting, which was previously limited to games, Xbox Live and Game Pass subscriptions.
The company explains how users can gift apps and Xbox Live Avatar items to friends and family:
- Head over to the Microsoft Store on your Windows 10 PC, Xbox console or online.
- Navigate to the product that you would like to purchase as a gift.
- 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.)
Process
When a gift is purchased and sent, the recipient receives a code that can be redeemed. Microsoft introduced the gifting for Xbox Live Avatar items on Oct. 19. However, just select items are available at the moment. The company says it will make all avatar items available on Tuesday, Oct. 23.
On the blog, Microsoft also detailed some caveats in the gifting service:
- There are limits to the number of discounted products you can buy. Gift purchasers can only buy two (2) of the same discounted product – and a total of ten (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, Xbox original avatar items, pre-orders, free products and consumable downloadable game content such as virtual currency is not allowed.
- Gift recipients can only redeem gift tokens in the country or region where they were purchased.
- The gifts are sent to recipients as soon as they are purchased. Currently, you can’t time the delivery of the gift for a specific date and time.