Guest checkout extends to full game purchases
Steam has broadened its guest checkout option, previously restricted to hardware and gift cards, to cover full game purchases. The change, reported on July 23 by GamingBolt, means shoppers no longer need a Steam account to buy a digital game on the storefront, smoothing one-off transactions and the act of picking up a title directly from a friend's wishlist.
Email-based gifting and a 30-day redemption window
Users can now send game gifts using only the recipient's email address, making it easier to deliver surprises without first being connected on the platform. The recipient's Steam account must be based in the same country as the place of purchase, and unclaimed gifts are automatically refunded to the sender after 30 days, putting a clear limit on how long a code can sit unredeemed.
Cross-region gifting for friends
Steam now supports cross-region gifting between users on each other's friends list, with the platform calculating the final cost at checkout. The arrangement removes the need for senders to estimate gift card amounts to cover another region's pricing, though the friends-list requirement means the cross-border option is not available for strangers.
Wishlist sharing and filtered lists
The wishlist system has been opened up, with the previous requirement that gifters be friends with recipients removed. Users can build filtered wishlists and share links with family or friends, and anyone using such a link sees the recipient's details auto-populated in their checkout cart, reducing the friction of buying for someone specific.
Related PC gaming coverage from outlet partners
Alongside the storefront changes, Steam Deck HQ published impressions of DragonSword: Awakening, an Unreal Engine 5 title tested on Steam Deck, and MMORPG.com ran a review of Valve's Steam Machine hardware, situating both pieces within the broader Steam ecosystem covered in the same news cycle.
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