Minecraft is a sandbox game about blocks, creation and exploration. Players can reshape the world around them and battle hostile mobs or cooperate with friends to build incredible structures.
The game is available in two editions, Java and Bedrock. Both have unique features and capabilities but they differ in many ways.
What is Minecraft?
Unlike most video games that feature a specific goal or storyline, Minecraft is what’s known as a sandbox game. It offers gamers endless possibilities, from building incredible buildings and contraptions to surviving on the hardest difficulty level in Survival Mode.
Depending on the mode of play, Minecraft can also be an incredibly immersive experience. For example, if kids choose to focus on creating an entire zoo, they’ll have to travel to far-flung corners of the map in order to gather the appropriate animals.
Moreover, the game’s procedurally generated worlds and extensive inventory of items offer limitless opportunities for exploration. Kids can craft complex puzzles and mazes, build their own roller coasters or even create a functioning iPhone 6. Minecraft has become so popular that it even doubles as an educational tool for teaching physics, math, geometry and storytelling. It’s no wonder that several spin-offs and games have been made to keep the experience fresh. Educators also use it to teach students about coding, computer science and chemistry.
Minecraft Java Edition
Mods are a key feature of the Java Edition that allow players to change gameplay mechanics, add new species of animals and other creatures, and even make new landscapes. The Windows 10 Bedrock Edition does support some mods through the Microsoft Store, but it has not had a large modding scene since its release in 2015.
Both editions include four game modes (Survival, Creative, Adventure, and Spectator), but only the Java Edition includes Hardcore mode, which is popular among streamers as it prevents players from respawning after dying in a bed. The Java Edition also features big multiplayer servers where players can play with each other, whereas Bedrock only supports cross-platform gameplay on mobile devices and consoles.
The Java Edition includes early access to development snapshots, allowing players to test upcoming features before they’re officially released. It also allows players to set up private or public Minecraft servers. Other notable additions to the Java Edition include Smooth Lighting, dyes, wolves and squid, tall grass, two new tree types, weather and achievements.
Minecraft Windows 10 Edition
The Minecraft Windows 10 Edition was released in 2015 and allows players to build worlds on computers running the Microsoft operating system. It is the latest version of the game and offers improved graphics, cross-platform compatibility with other devices (such as Xbox), and a Marketplace that provides community-created skins, texture packs, worlds, and mash-ups for the game.
The game differs from the Java edition in several ways, but the most notable difference is that the Windows 10 edition is less resource intensive and can run on a wider range of hardware configurations. It also supports a new feature known as crossplay, which allows players on different platforms to play together in the same world.
The Windows 10 Edition is available to purchase through the Microsoft Store or as part of the Xbox Game Pass subscription service. It can also be downloaded on mobile devices that support the Xbox app. However, the game does not support mods, which is a key feature of the Java edition.
Minecraft Bedrock Edition
Bedrock Edition refers to the multi-platform versions of Minecraft developed by Mojang Studios, Xbox Game Studios, and SkyBox Labs. These versions are based on the same codebase, allowing them to operate independently. They also share development, allowing features to be released for both the Java Edition and Pocket Edition simultaneously. This includes the addition of blocks, items, mobs and gameplay elements.
The Bedrock Editions on console are currently marketed as Minecraft for Xbox One, Minecraft for Nintendo Switch, and Minecraft for PlayStation 4. While these titles are technically distinct from the legacy console Editions, they share many similar gameplay mechanics. Bedrock Edition also refers to the version of the game used for cellphones and smart tvs, called Minecraft Pocket Edition or MCPE. This is often confused with the original Java Edition, but since it was renamed to simply Minecraft in 2014, this distinction has become less meaningful.
