'Minecraft' Cross-Platform Play: Better Together Update to Release This Summer
"Minecraft" will be receiving an update to support cross-platform play between mobile, Windows 10 and console devices this year.
At the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2017, the "Minecraft" team announced the Better Together update, and it will be bringing together the console, mobile and Windows 10 versions of the video game under a single edition. This means that for the first time, gamers of one platform can play with those on other platforms. The game will also receive in-game multiplayer servers as well as new graphics.
"We've wanted to integrate cross-platform for ages, essentially making a version of Minecraft that's consistent no matter what device you're choosing to play on," Tom Stone, the creative communications assistant of Mojang AB, wrote in a blog post.
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In the future, the Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, mobile and VR versions of this game will be simply referred to as "Minecraft." This version is separate from the original PC game — the "Minecraft" Java Edition — but the team has guaranteed that it will also continue to provide support for this Java version as well.
"When you buy 'Minecraft', you're buying a game that can you can play with friends across devices," Stone explained. "Anyone playing the game on Windows 10, iOS, Android, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and virtual reality (VR) devices will be able to play online together."
Moreover, any downloadable content (DLC) that gamers purchase will also be accessible across devices with no added cost.
The cross-platform update of "Minecraft" is scheduled to roll out this summer as a free update to the mobile as well as VR versions of "Minecraft." For those who already own "Minecraft" games for the Xbox One or Nintendo Switch, they will receive a new version free of charge, with their existing world and DLC kept intact.
All gaming platforms that will be getting the Better Together update will also receive a browser in the start menu that will allow players to select from a list of multiplayer servers that they can join. At launch, the feature will have four servers — Lifeboat, Mineplex, InPVP and CubeCraft — but more are promised to be added in the future.
