How to gift a PC game (and pay less doing it)

Gift smart, pay less

Gifting a PC game is one of the easiest presents to get right — and one of the easiest to overpay on. A little planning saves real money without dropping the personal touch. Here is how to do it properly, step by step.

• Compare before you buy. The same game varies a lot across stores. Look up its page here first — for example The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt or Stardew Valley — to see the current price and all-time low side by side across Steam, GOG, Epic and the keyshops.
• Gift directly on Steam. On a game's Steam page choose Add to Cart, then Purchase as a gift. You send it to a Steam friend with a personal note, and they accept it into their library — no key to lose and nothing to activate manually.
• Consider keyshops carefully. Keyshops can be noticeably cheaper, but you are handing over a code rather than a native Steam gift. Stick to reputable sellers, check the region and edition, and understand the trade-off before you buy.
• Set a price alert. If the occasion is not urgent, wait. Add the game to your watchlist and let us tell you the moment it drops near its all-time low.

The golden rule: never pay full price on impulse. A gift bought heavily discounted is just as thoughtful, and it leaves more in your pocket for the next one.

Dig deeper with our guide on how to never overpay for PC games and our honest take on whether keyshops are safe. When you are ready, our deals page shows exactly what is cheap right now.