'Minecraft' Cross-Play Beta Goes Live for PC and Android; Xbox One Test to Come Soon
"Minecraft" fans can now get a glimpse of Windows 10 and Android players playing together as the cross-play beta for the immensely popular sandbox game went live on Monday, July 31.
Microsoft is building up the aptly named "Better Together" update for "Minecraft" by rolling out the PC and Android Beta first, as reported by IGN. This update is eventually meant to have "Minecraft" playable between consoles, Windows 10 and Android. For that, the Xbox One beta is expected to roll out this week as well.
The company announced the "Better Together" update for "Minecraft" earlier this June when Mojang revealed the update during the game's panel at the Electronic Entertainment Expo 2017.
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This means that the game will be eventually moving all of its versions — Windows 10 PC, Android Mobile, Nintendo Switch and Xbox One — to the Bedrock Engine to facilitate cross-platform play.
Players on Windows, Microsoft's Xbox console and Nintendo's handheld will be able to play together on a "Minecraft" server in the near future. All world progress, purchased content and saves will also be migrated to the cross-play version as the "Better Together" update comes together.
Content specific to platforms, like the "Super Mario Mash-Up Pack" exclusive to the Nintendo Switch, could also make it through the new version, as a "Minecraft" representative said in an earlier statement.
"We are still working out [if platform-specific content will be available to a player on all platforms] and hope to have more details on that as we get closer to launch," the spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, this Beta will be adding the "Better Together" update features as they become ready for the players. More details on these new features are provided in a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) format on the game's website.
The "Better Together" upgrade for "Minecraft" is expected to launch this fall, when the team is satisfied that the update is ready and bug-free.
