Multiple Minecraft platforms

6th Dec, 2022

Minecraft's many versions are disappearing. It's still available on your preferred platform, but the Nintendo Switch, Xbox One and mobile versions of Minecraft are the same.

Microsoft has unified its block-building game Minecraft in order to allow cross-platform multiplayer, save data and purchase content. You can now move your world, saves, and data between Minecraft: Pocket Edition for iPhone and Minecraft: Xbox One Edition for iPhone. You can now create infinite-sized worlds in console games. This is a significant shift for Microsoft to treat Minecraft as a service that can be accessed however players want.

This change is highlighted by the fact that Minecraft's “Switch Edition”, and “Windows 10 Edition” names have been dropped. Microsoft will instead call this cross-platform Minecraft version. Minecraft: Java Edition will replace the original PC version of Minecraft. All this is part of the Better Together update, which will be released this summer.

“We call this edition of Minecraft just Minecraft,” Emily Orrson, marketing lead, explained to reporters during a presentation. This Minecraft version is not specific to any particular platform. It can travel across all these form factors…. The Java edition of Minecraft will be rebranded as the Java Edition. This should make it super easy for the player community, who already call it the Java Edition.

The unified Bedrock Minecraft version will now include these platforms:

The unified experience does not include the consoles of Sony and the Xbox 360. Microsoft has provided more information about why Sony isn't involved.

Microsoft and Mojang have been working for years to bring Minecraft together. They have created the Bedrock Engine, which runs Minecraft on mobile and consoles. It is scalable and can be ported to other platforms easily. It's also simple to release updates to multiple versions at once, which has resulted in parity for the majority of Minecraft users.

Microsoft can do cool things with all these Minecraft versions together. This allows them to solve many player problems. Many Minecraft players have multiple platforms, but until now, they've not been able to transfer their progress between them. This model allows players to play a game on their phone and then pick it up on their Xbox One. Players can also purchase additional content such as the Power Rangers skin packs. This will transfer to any other Bedrock edition — though a few packs, such as the one featuring Mario or Halo characters, may not transfer due to licensing restrictions.

Microsoft and platform owners can now focus on microtransactions, with Minecraft being a service. Although cross-platform purchase of official skin packs is great, Microsoft is using it to expand the Minecraft Marketplace for community builders. Although the Community Marketplace is available on Windows 10 and mobile, Switch and Xbox One users will have access to it once they switch to Bedrock. This is important as console users often have their credit card information saved to their devices and are ready to spend money on new items.

“This Better Together update is part a larger vision. Orrson stated that the vision revolves around a connected and creative player community. “We have incredible things happening that players are creating and doing in the world. We're following their example in transforming Minecraft from a gaming platform to a creative platform.

Microsoft believes that Minecraft can be used to launch a business, or create minigames. The publisher is committed to supporting such endeavors. This marketplace was created to allow for a lot more of this kind of content to be added to the game, especially on platforms that are difficult to modify unlike the PC.

Jesse Merriam, executive producer of the community marketplace, stated that players now have instant access to a lot of community-created content. “Now, you don't have to navigate the internet to find a creator's site to download their packs, or figure out how to import them.

This makes it much easier for creators to reach potential players, who may also be willing to pay them.

Microsoft has basically figured out how to make Minecraft's paid mods work by leaving the Java Version, which is simple to modify. Players can also customize Minecraft for smartphones and other platforms by editing specific files. As part of the Mojang add-ons update, Microsoft and Mojang made this possible last year.

Microsoft will also support third-party servers outside its Realms service to enable a multiplayer persistent universe. Realms can only support 11 players at once, but some external servers can host hundreds of players. Minecraft has partnered with popular Minecraft servers such as InPVP, Mineplex and CubeCraft, to make these possibilities even more accessible to everyone.

Microsoft is moving to make Minecraft a platform. This is smart business strategy. You can sell content and take a cut of the community-created content sales. To keep its players happy, the company also offers huge and impressive improvements to Minecraft. It wants people to use the marketplace and buy skin packs. However, the Java version is still available. Microsoft even spent the past year making it possible for anyone to create mod-like content on mobile and Windows 10. Microsoft is now offering Realms as an alternative.

Microsoft's smart decisions are also obvious because they fit with its vision.

“The goal was to bring together Minecraft players. Merriam said that this is where we are moving. As we have developed the Bedrock Engine, you've seen that mobile users are now using Windows 10 and VR players. These versions are often different and sold through different shops. It is a worthwhile project to overcome those obstacles to get everyone playing together, and to make Minecraft a destination.