Minecraft is coming to Xbox Game Pass for PC

During this year's Minecraft Live Mojang has announced that Minecraft is coming to Xbox Game Pass for PC this November.

The 'Minecraft PC bundle' will include both Java and Bedrock versions of the block-building sandbox alongside its dungeon-crawling spinoff Minecraft Dungeons. Minecraft already has its own launcher on PC, but it seems like Microsoft is pushing for all its games to be under one subscription umbrella.

Best of Minecraft

Minecraf 1.18 key art — (Image credit: Mojang)

Minecraft update: What's new?
Minecraft skins: New looks
Minecraft mods: Beyond vanilla
Minecraft shaders: Spotlight
Minecraft seeds: Fresh new worlds
Minecraft texture packs: Pixelated
Minecraft servers: Online worlds
Minecraft commands: All cheats

Both Minecraft Bedrock and Minecraft Dungeons were already available on the console versions of Game Pass, but this new Minecraft PC bundle will be the first time the Java version will be available on the subscription service. The difference between the two is, put simply, Java is better for modding, Bedrock is better for cross-platform play. Mojang has made clear, mind, that cross-platform play between Java and Bedrock is still not possible.

Having both versions in one place is pretty handy. To play with friends you all need to be using the same version and, previously, the two have been completely non-interchangeable. They'll still remain separate but Game Pass will make switching between versions much more accessible. You'll only need to go to one place to play any Minecraft game.

With Mojang's iconic blocky sandbox joining the Game Pass roster, Xbox's subscription service keeps becoming a better bargain with access to a huge number of games for £8 / $10 a month. This includes all of Microsoft's first-party games the day they're released, alongside regular new PC additions. There's no denying it offers a lot of bang for the buck and, with the addition of the eternally popular Minecraft, continues to go from strength-to-strength.

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Rachel had been bouncing around different gaming websites as a freelancer and staff writer for three years before settling at PC Gamer back in 2019. She mainly writes reviews, previews, and features, but on rare occasions will switch it up with news and guides. When she's not taking hundreds of screenshots of the latest indie darling, you can find her nurturing her parsnip empire in Stardew Valley and planning an axolotl uprising in Minecraft. She loves 'stop and smell the roses' games—her proudest gaming moment being the one time she kept her virtual potted plants alive for over a year.