Can Minecraft Pocket Edition Play Multiplayer With PC?
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Since Minecraft was officially released, there has been a lot of confusion within the community about which version you can play with friends, even if your friends don’t play on the same device. First, we had the legacy editions that you couldn’t crossplay with whatsoever, the came the better together update, and now suddenly we can? What about PC and Pocket Edition players, though? Can they play together in multiplayer?
Is Minecraft a crossplay game?
Minecraft has been a crossplay game ever since the Bedrock Edition was released. It happened in October 2011, when Minecraft was officially released during the first MineCon. The exception is all the legacy editions of the game, which have been discontinued and stopped with updates in 2020.
Legacy Edition owners could get Bedrock Edition for free, allowing them to play with their friends, no matter the device, as long as it’s Bedrock. You can’t help crossplay by playing the legacy editions because they aren’t the same game and aren’t updated anymore.
The aquatic update was the last one these editions would receive, and after the Better Together update, all console editions transferred to Bedrock in 2017. This thrilled Minecraft players but Java Edition players were left behind and can’t join in on the fun of playing with Bedrock Edition users to this day.
Minecraft Java is a PC exclusive Edition, but in 2017, everything changed. Not because Java Edition users can now crossplay with Bedrock users but because Windows 10 Edition was released.
Minecraft Windows 10 Edition
Minecraft Windows 10 Edition is Bedrock in a nutshell, but because you’re only able to play it on PCs running Windows 10 or 11, it was named appropriately. Mac and Linux users can’t play this version of the game. The exception is Mac users if they have Windows 10 or 11 installed. Linux users are deprived of this experience since Linux is an operating system.
Java users still prefer Java, and it’s hard for them to get used to the benefits and disadvantages of Bedrock Minecraft. If they want to play with their friends who are Bedrock Edition users, they don’t have to give up playing on Java because of the third-party plugin called GeyserMC. They will, however, have to get used to the mechanics of Bedrock Edition because, with the plugin, you’re essentially running Bedrock, but for free.
Remember that Mojang does not offer plugin support for this and any other plugin or mod, so you risk damaging your PC if the plugin contains malware. You don’t have to pay additional money for the Windows 10 Edition, even though it’s only 10 USD.
Back when the version was first released, all Java users could download the Windows 10 Edition free of charge. This offer lasted until October 2018, when you had to purchase the version for 10 USD. Nowadays, in 2022, if you buy Minecraft for PC, you’re getting both the Bedrock and Java Edition in one game for only 3 USD extra.
All versions crossplay potential
Minecraft only exists as Bedrock and Java Edition in the base game. Bedrock is available on all platforms and is titled Minecraft, except the Windows 10 Edition. Java is titled Minecraft Java and can only be played on PCs. Then, if you add in the countless spin-offs, you get all the available game versions, so let’s dig deep into Minecraft’s nitty gritty of cross-playability.
Bedrock
As was mentioned before, you can play Bedrock Edition Minecraft with anyone who also plays Bedrock Edition. It is available on PCs, mobile phones, Xbox, PS4, and Nintendo, to name a few. Although it seems impossible for a Pocket Edition player to play with a PS4 or PC player, it is.
The only problem Bedrock Edition faces is that you have to buy add-ons for it through the official Minecraft store, so any modding potential like the one Java Edition has is gone out the window. The add-ons aren’t expensive, but the cost can easily stack up little by little with every new add-on that you purchase.
Java
Java can and will only ever play the game with other Java users. If you want to play with friends, you either have to switch to the Bedrock Edition of the game or have your friends play on Java. As most players use the Bedrock Edition, finding friends who play Java may be challenging. If they purchased the Windows 10 Edition recently, they likely bought both Java and Bedrock so you can play together.
If that’s not the case, you can always rely on the GeyserMC plugin to bring you up to speed with your friend’s mishaps and adventures on their Bedrock Edition servers. Again, you should download the plugin cautiously and not without paid antivirus software if you want to be extra safe.
Pocket Edition
Officially, Pocket Edition Minecraft, a Minecraft version for mobile phones, is called Minecraft since it’s also Bedrock. The title originates from all the Bedrock versions but was changed to Minecraft Bedrock or Minecraft because Mojang and Microsoft want Bedrock to be the primary version of the game.
I wouldn’t go as far as to say that they want it to be the sole version, but Java is a pain point because they can’t make as much money as they do with add-ons that you have to buy in Bedrock. Pocket Edition or the mobile phone version can receive mods from third-party sites, though, and has to be distinguished from the Bedrock version simply because some game mechanics only apply to the edition.
Education Edition
Education Edition Minecraft is a game completely separate from Minecraft’s base version, so any crossplay that happens can only happen if all players play the version. Minecraft Education Edition isn’t Bedrock or Java and will remain as such for as long as it’s getting updates.
To sum up the game concept, it is made to educate children and provides a new type of learning mechanism that is fun and educational. It was officially released in 2022 but has been around for far longer. It was successful since 10000 classrooms already used it in 2016. Education Edition does not discriminate against PC users since they can join in on the fun of crossplay even if their friends play the game on consoles or mobile phones.
Minecraft Dungeons
Minecraft Dungeons is another different game from the base version that comes in the form of Bedrock and Java, so any crossplay will happen between users who own the game. It’s an action-adventure game featuring new mobs with the end goal of beating the Arch-villager. The version also doesn’t discriminate against PC users, but you can’t crossplay since it doesn’t exist for mobile phones.
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