Even though Minecraft is one of the most popular sandbox games since its release, it’s still confusing to get started with. That’s because its developers maintain two similar but independent versions of the game – Minecraft Bedrock vs Minecraft Java Edition. If you haven’t tried the game yet, you can play Minecraft in your web browser for free to get a feel of what it’s all about. For console & smartphone users, Minecraft Bedrock will be your only option, while PC users can choose between either. Now, if you want to get started with Minecraft, let’s figure out which version is best for you. We will look at the similarities and differences are between Minecraft Bedrock vs Java Edition in this article.

Visually, both Minecraft Bedrock and Java editions look the same. But don’t be fooled by the looks, as Minecraft Bedrock is developed in C++ while Java edition is developed in, well obviously, Java. The developers maintain and develop features for each version separately. Having said that, it’s time to find out how these two versions of Minecraft compare.

  • History of Minecraft
  • Minecraft Bedrock vs Java Edition: Supported Platforms
  • Minecraft Bedrock vs Java Edition: Pricing
  • Performance
  • Modding Support
  • Multiplayer & Servers
  • Game Updates
  • Parental Control
  • Marketplace
  • Hardcore Mode
  • Minecraft Java Edition vs Bedrock: Which is Better?

History of Minecraft

For the uninitiated, Minecraft is an open-world sandbox game where you spawn into a random world. The main objective of this blocky 3D Minecraft world is exploration. It is a seemingly infinite game that offers users endless play styles, numerous stories, and virtually endless terrain. Minecraft came out with its original and first Java edition in 2011 and was an instant hit. Due to increasing popularity and demand on different devices, the developers launched a performance-focused Minecraft Bedrock in 2016.

Let’s start with the availability, which is a big issue that you might have to tackle. The Minecraft Java Edition is officially available on Windows, Mac, and Linux. Meanwhile, you can get Minecraft Bedrock on almost every platform except Mac, Linux, and Chrome OS. You can officially play Minecraft Bedrock on the following platforms:

  • Windows
  • Android
  • iOS/ iPadOS
  • Nintendo Switch
  • PS4/ PS5
  • Xbox One/ Xbox Series X/ Series S
  • Kindle Fire OS

Minecraft Bedrock vs Java Edition: Pricing

As for the pricing, the Minecraft Java Edition costs $26.95 on all platforms, namely Mac, Windows, and Linux. The pricing varies greatly across platforms for the Bedrock Edition. You can pay as low as $6.99 to try out the game on iOS/ iPadOS and Fire OS. The game costs $7.49 on Android, $20 on PS4 and Xbox consoles, and $26.99 on Windows PC. It’s the most expensive on Nintendo Switch, where you need to spend $29.99 to start with Minecraft Bedrock.

If you have a powerful custom PC with GPUs like the newly released GeForce RTX 3080 Ti, you can push Minecraft to its extreme in the Java edition. It’s a highly demanding version of Minecraft, superior in terms of graphics. But that was the case until Bedrock Edition got the Minecraft with RTX update. At the moment, Bedrock is a better choice if you are on a mid to low-end PC and also if you want to play Minecraft at its higher end with RTX. Official NVIDIA Screenshot of Minecraft Bedrock with RTX ON

The performance comparison might seem biased towards Bedrock due to its superior RTX-supported graphics, but a game’s experience goes beyond that. And this is where mods come into the picture.

In simple terms, if you plan on using mods to make enhancements to your Minecraft 3D block world, you will have to choose the Java edition. There are a few paid modding tools available for the Bedrock edition, but they are simply not worth the effort.

Both Minecraft Java and Bedrock have multiplayer support. The way they do it is slightly different, though. With Minecraft Bedrock, you can play with your friends on consoles or mobiles using cross-play support. That means your friends don’t need to be on the same platform as you. They can be on their Xbox/ PS/ Switch consoles or mobile phones and still explore the map together.

Due to its early release, it has a massive community around the world, even without proper cross-play support. You might need a good PC to run it properly, but Minecraft Java has the best online servers in general.

Fortunately, both editions of the game get regular maintenance updates from the developer. Overall, we get the same features and usually the same bugs in almost every official update.

Minecraft is popular and targeted towards the younger crowd. Even their education edition establishes this fact. But an open community with all types of mods, content, and in-game “hunting” means not all parents are comfortable allowing their children to play the game. And if you are a parent worried about the same, only the Bedrock edition, at this moment, seems to address the situation.

As the Minecraft Bedrock Edition is linked to Xbox’s services, young gamers can expect strict moderation as well as exclusive parental control. The Java edition has no such restrictions or a proper parental control system.  For the more concerned parents, other sandbox games like Minecraft can give your children a better choice and a safer gaming environment.

When I say Minecraft Java and Bedrock are different at their core, I mean it. Because at one side we have an official marketplace of Bedrock edition with purchasable skins and add-os. On the other side, the Java edition supports community-made skins that you can create, download, and even share with other users.

The fans of Bedrock are still waiting for the popular hardcore mode to reach Minecraft Bedrock. It’s a risky survival-based mode in which an in-game death means you have to restart instead of respawning. The stakes are very high, and the fans love it. If this is the type of extreme gameplay you are looking for, you need to go with Minecraft Java.

We don’t have an official statement just yet, but fans on the official Minecraft subreddit suspect an underdeveloped spectator mode might be the reason for the hardcore mode being exclusive to Java. Spectator mode, for those unaware, is a way to explore the world after dying in hardcore mode. Until Mojang finds a solution, sticking with the Java edition is the only option for hardcore players.

Let’s take a final look at the differences between the two editions of Minecraft before making a decision:

As you might have already figured out, Minecraft Bedrock is your only option if you are not on a PC. This version of the game supports cross-play, parental control, and beautiful RTX graphics. If you are on PC and need modding support, community-based servers, skins, and all the jazz, then install the Java edition right away. Remember that you need a high-end PC to run the Java Edition comfortably.