“Minecraft is Minecraft — any copy works”
No. Buying Java when your child’s friends are on Xbox produces two games that cannot see each other. Confirm the devices in the group before you check out.
Verified Mojang
REFERENCE / OVERVIEW
MINECRAFT BEDROCK EDITION, EXPLAINED
Which devices run it, who can play with whom, and what to check before you spend anything.
The short answer
What Bedrock Edition actually is
Minecraft is sold in two separate versions. Bedrock Edition is the one that runs on Windows, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, Android, iOS and Chromebook, and it is the only version whose players can share a world across those different device types. Java Edition runs on Windows, Mac and Linux only. The two versions use different multiplayer servers, so a Java player and a Bedrock player cannot join the same world — which is why the first question is never “which is better” but “which one are the people I want to play with using?”
Platform lists and the cross-play restriction: Mojang, “Minecraft Java or Bedrock Edition”How to read the labels on this site
Verified
Stated on an official Mojang, Microsoft, or platform-holder page. The link sits next to the claim.
Varies by platform
True in general, but the detail differs by store, region, or device. Confirm on your own storefront.
Community-reported
From community documentation or player reports. Useful signal, not publisher-confirmed fact.
Announced
Publicly announced but not released as of this page’s review date. Do not buy hardware for it yet.
What this site is not. minecraft-bedrock.net does not sell Minecraft, does not host game files, and is not operated by Mojang Studios or Microsoft. Every purchase route on this site points to an official storefront. See how we source and correct this site.
Page reviewed 28 August 2026
Compatibility, at a glance
Which devices run Bedrock — and what each one still needs
Owning Minecraft is only half of a working setup. On home consoles, online multiplayer normally sits behind that platform’s own paid service, and every device needs a Microsoft account before it can cross-play. This table is the compressed version; the full feature matrix adds split-screen, graphics modes, and store availability per device.
| Device | Runs Bedrock | Runs Java | Plays with other Bedrock devices | Extra requirement for online play |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windows 10 / 11 PC | Yes | Yes | Yes | Internet connection only — no console-style subscription |
| Mac / Linux | No | Yes | No | Java players only. This is the most expensive mistake buyers make. |
| Xbox One / Series S / Series X | Yes | No | Yes | Paid Xbox online entitlement; console-sharing rules may cover other profiles |
| PlayStation 4 / PlayStation 5 | Yes | No | Yes | PlayStation Plus entitlement; console sharing can cover eligible profiles |
| Nintendo Switch | Yes | No | Yes | Nintendo Switch Online entitlement; individual and family plans differ |
| iPhone / iPad | Yes | No | Yes | Internet connection only |
| Android phone / tablet | Yes | No | Yes | Internet connection only |
| Chromebook | Yes | No | Yes | Internet connection only. Bought through Google Play. |
Edge case worth knowing: a Windows PC can hold both editions at once. Mojang states that buying Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition for PC gives you both, and that owning one edition entitles you to the other. Even then you must launch the matching edition — owning both does not merge the two multiplayer networks. Source
Decision guide
Three questions that decide which edition you buy
Answer these in order. The first question that produces a hard constraint wins — you cannot solve a platform mismatch with a later preference.
What hardware will the player actually use?
- A console, a phone, a tablet, or a Chromebook
- Bedrock is the only option. Java does not run on these devices at all, so the rest of the questions cannot change the answer.
- A Mac or a Linux machine
- Java is the only option. Bedrock is not offered for macOS or Linux. If the rest of the group is on consoles, this player cannot join them — plan for that before buying.
- A Windows PC
- Both are possible, so continue to question two.
Who do they want to play with, and on what?
- Friends or family on mixed devices (console + phone + PC)
- Everyone needs Bedrock. There is no official way to put a Java player and a Bedrock player in the same world.
- Friends who are all on desktop Java servers already
- Java. Joining an existing Java community with Bedrock is not possible through official features.
- Nobody — single-player only, for now
- Either works. Continue to question three and decide on how they like to play.
Does the way they want to customise the game require Java?
- They want deep code-level mods and to pin the game to an older version
- Java. Mojang notes that Java can launch any past release version, while Bedrock only runs the current stable version or a preview/beta build.
- They want one-tap add-ons, skins and maps from an in-game store
- Bedrock. Add-ons and the Marketplace are Bedrock features and do not exist in Java.
- They mostly want to play vanilla survival on a controller or touchscreen
- Bedrock. Controller and touch input are native there, and split-screen exists on consoles.
Outcome A — Buy Bedrock
Mixed devices, console-first households, mobile players, anyone who wants cross-device play with the least setup.
Outcome B — Buy Java
Desktop-only groups, Mac or Linux machines, modded play, or joining an existing Java server community.
Outcome C — Buy the Windows bundle
One Windows PC, and the player has friends in both camps. Mojang states the PC bundle contains both editions.
Corrections
Six things buyers routinely get wrong
Each of these costs real money or a ruined evening. They are the questions that come up again and again in help communities, so they are worth reading before the questions become your problem.
“Bedrock runs on Mac”
It does not. Mojang lists Java on Windows, Mac and Linux, and Bedrock on Windows plus consoles and mobile. A Mac household cannot join a console household on Bedrock.
Verified Mojang“One purchase covers the whole family”
Each player generally needs their own copy on their own device, plus their own account. Local split-screen on a console is the exception, because everyone shares one machine.
Varies by platform Licence terms are set by each store. See the household licence checklist.“If I own the game, online play is included”
On PC, yes. On Xbox, PlayStation and Switch, online play normally requires that platform’s paid online service for each account that plays.
Verified Mojang“Multiplayer is broken, the game is buggy”
Usually it is an account permission, not the game. For a child account, only a parent in the family group can allow multiplayer, and the change needs a sign-out before it applies.
Verified Xbox family settings · elimination checklist“My world will move to any other version”
Bedrock worlds and Java worlds are not interchangeable. Moving a Bedrock world between Bedrock devices is possible, but it is a deliberate export step, not automatic.
Community-reported Exact steps differ per device — see backup and transfer.What playing Bedrock actually involves
If you have never played, this is the loop you are buying. There is no story to finish and no levels to unlock — the game hands you an open world and a set of tools. Understanding this helps when you are deciding whether it suits the person you are buying for.
Gather materials
Break blocks to collect wood, stone and ore, then craft them into better tools. The early game is mostly this, and it is where new players learn the controls.
Handle the danger
In Survival mode, hostile creatures appear in the dark. Players can fight, hide, or sleep through the night. Creative mode removes the danger entirely, which is often the better starting point for younger players.
Build and share
Everything gathered can be built into something. This is the part that keeps people playing for years, and the part that works best with other people in the world.
The three ways Bedrock players share a world
These are different products with different limits and costs. Compare who hosts, who can join, and whether the world stays online before choosing one.
Public
Verified Featured servers require a Microsoft account: Mojang
Featured servers
A list of partner-run servers built into the Bedrock main menu. No IP addresses, no downloads. Each server sets its own rules and its own extra purchases.
Who it suits
Players who want minigames and company without anyone hosting anything. Note that these are public spaces with strangers in them.
The catch
Moderation, chat rules and paid cosmetics are set by the server operator, not by Mojang. Split-screen players cannot use featured servers.
Private, paid
Verified Bedrock Realms owner + 2; Realms Plus owner + 10 and Marketplace Pass; Java Realms separate: official plan comparison. Varies by platform Confirm current local pricing in-game.
Realms & Realms Plus
A private server hosted by Mojang that stays online when the owner is away. Bedrock Realms supports the owner plus 2 other simultaneous players. Realms Plus supports the owner plus 10 and includes Marketplace Pass.
The player limit, precisely
For Bedrock, the official comparison lists the owner plus 2 other simultaneous players on Realms and the owner plus 10 on Realms Plus. Java Realms is a separate Java-only subscription.
Realms vs Realms Plus
Bedrock has both Realms and Realms Plus. Java Realms is separate and does not carry over to Bedrock. Current plan names, limits, and prices live on the official Realms page.
Local
Verified Split-screen is console-only: Mojang · Community-reported four-player cap and subscription detail: minecraft.wiki
Split-screen & local network
Two or more players on one console and one screen, or several devices on the same home network joining a world someone has opened.
Why this is the cheapest option
Split-screen players share the console and its copy of the game, so a second child does not need a second purchase. Mojang states that only the console versions of Bedrock support local split-screen.
The limits
Community documentation reports up to four players and no split-screen on featured servers. For online play, each profile needs the required entitlement, but console sharing or a family plan may supply it without a separate paid subscription for every profile.
Status board
What has changed in Bedrock, and what has only been announced
This section deliberately separates shipped features from announcements. A release date in the future is not something you should plan a purchase around today.
- Vibrant Visuals — shipped Verified
- Mojang states that Vibrant Visuals arrived in Bedrock Edition in version 1.21.90, adding directional lighting and volumetric fog, and that default presets have since been tuned per device. Microsoft’s creator documentation confirms it changes rendering only, not gameplay, and that it runs locally so each player chooses whether to enable it. It does not reach every device — see the graphics section. Mojang, Evolving Vibrant Visuals · Microsoft Learn
- Minecraft on Nintendo Switch 2 — announced, not released Announced
- Nintendo has announced a Nintendo Switch 2 version arriving 27 October, with Vibrant Visuals set as the default visual experience there and a digital upgrade path for existing Switch owners, with further details still to follow. As of this page’s review date that release has not happened, so do not treat it as a feature you can buy today. Nintendo announcement
- Bedrock always runs the newest version Verified
- Unlike Java, Bedrock can only play the latest stable version or a preview/beta build. That matters for two reasons: your friends must be on the same version to play together, and you cannot stay on an older build to keep a feature you liked. Preview builds are a separate app on Xbox, iOS and Windows, and beta builds come through Google Play on Android. Mojang, Java or Bedrock Edition
- Where to check for yourself Varies by platform
- Update notes, subscription terms and prices all change without warning and differ by region. The authoritative places are Mojang’s download page, the Realms page, and the Minecraft Help Center.
Where to go next
I am comparing devices
The full matrix covers split-screen, graphics modes, add-ons, store availability and the requirements behind each one.
I am about to spend money
Official storefront for every device, what the purchase includes, PC requirements, and how many copies a household needs.
I own it and it will not work
Pre-flight checklists, the account and family-settings path, backups, and a symptom table that points to the official help article.
I have one specific question
Short answers, each labelled as verified, platform-dependent, or community-reported, with the source attached.
NOTHING IS SOLD HERE
This is a reference site. When you are ready to buy, our buying page sends you to the official store for your device.
See official stores by device