What you need to know
- Mojang Studios announced an early access build of Minecraft for Chromebooks.
- The build allows cross-device play, access to the marketplace, and more.
- The full version will include the Trails and Tails update when it's available.
- Only users with select Chromebooks can purchase the early access version through the Play Store.
The ever-so-popular Minecraft game is finally making its way to Chromebooks. In an announcement by Mojang Studios, an "early access" version of the game is now available, but only for select users.
This "early access" version of Minecraft: Bedrock Edition will include cross-device play so users can enjoy the game with players from other platforms, access to the Minecraft Marketplace to purchase in-game creations, and the Minecraft Realms, where users can manage their own private servers to play with friends.
That said, Mojang Studios notes that users may experience various bugs throughout gameplay while they polish the experience for Chromebooks, and users that notice anything funny can submit reports on Discord or through the Minecraft website.
Although the release full version of Minecraft for Chromebooks is still unknown, Mojang Studios assures that users will have access to the upcoming Trails & Tales update that's expected to roll out later this year.
That said, until the full version is available, you must own an eligible Chromebook that meets the minimum requirements in order to purchase the early access version from the Play Store:
- Operating System: ChromeOS 111
- System Architecture: 64-bit (x86_64, arm64-v8a)
- Processor: Intel Celeron N4500, Intel i3-7130U, Mediatek MT8183, Qualcomm SC7180 or better
- Memory: 4 GB RAM
- Storage: Minimum of 1 GB game installation, maps, and other files
Those eligible to buy the game can select from several different purchasing options. A $20 bundle gets you both Chromebook and Android versions of the game, while $7 gets you just the Android version. Upgrading from the Android version to the Chromebook version will cost the $13 difference.
Prospective buyers should note that they will need a Microsoft account to play the game. However, they will not be able to transfer their existing worlds to Minecraft for Chromebook. Worlds from the trial version will also not transfer over to the full version once it's released.
