Minecraft: Bedrock Edition Is Coming to Chromebooks

The PC version of Minecraft, or at least one of its many mobile and console iterations, is playable on the vast majority of gaming systems. Chromebooks have been (mostly) absent from that list, but that is now updating to reflect the current situation.

Mojang Studios has released an early access version of Minecraft: Bedrock Edition for Chromebooks. This version will allow for complete cross-device play with versions of Minecraft: Bedrock Edition available on other platforms, such as Android, iPhone, gaming consoles, and Bedrock on PC. In addition to that, it is compatible with Realms server environments and provides access to the Minecraft Marketplace. As it is sold through the Google Play Store, the new edition looks to be nothing more than an Android version that has been enhanced to better enable keyboard and mouse use.

It was already possible to play the Java Version of Minecraft on Chromebooks by using the optional Linux container on Chrome OS. However, the cross-play capabilities of that version are limited to the Java Edition of Minecraft running on Windows, Mac, and other Linux Computers. It was not possible to join a world with friends on a console or mobile device, nor was it possible to use the additional features that were exclusive to the Bedrock Edition.

To play the game on the new Chromebook version, you need to have at least 4 gigabytes of random access memory (RAM), a 64-bit x86 or ARM CPU, and at least 1 gigabyte of storage space. According to Mojang, in order to play the game, you’ll need a chipset that’s at least as powerful as an Intel Celeron N4500, an Intel i3-7130U, a Mediatek MT8183, or a Qualcomm SC7180.

The price of the Chromebook game will be more than that of the Android game, despite the fact that the Chromebook version isn’t really different from the existing Android version. The Android and Chromebook versions of Minecraft will be sold jointly by Mojang for the price of $19.99; if you already own the Android version, you may upgrade for the price of $13. The price of the bare-bones Android version will not change. In order to participate, you will need to have a Microsoft account.

The game can only be played on a select few kinds of Chromebook computers at the moment, but after the testing phase is over, it should be made available to a wider audience. You may use the Google Play Store to see if you have access to anything.

Source: Minecraft, Minecraft Help