Minecraft Cross-Play Update Out Now For Xbox One, PC, And Mobile | Switch This Winter

The next major update for Minecraft is out now for Xbox One, PC, VR, and mobile. Dubbed the Better Together update, it adds a number of new features to the popular sandbox title, most notably cross-play support between the different platforms.

With the new update, players on Xbox One, PC, and mobile devices are now able to play together online regardless of what platform they're on. The update will also be released for the Nintendo Switch version to allow cross-play with Nintendo's console, though developer Mojang says that won't be ready until sometime this winter.



While Minecraft will eventually support cross-play between most of the platforms it is available on, it doesn't appear PS4 players will be able to join in on the fun. Sony has been reluctant to allow cross-play between PS4 and other consoles, though Mojang says it is still in discussions with the company about bringing the feature to the PS4 version.

In addition to cross-play, the Better Together update gives all players access to a ton of player-made items on the Marketplace and adds stained glass, fireworks, banners, parrots, and many other new features to the game. The update also allows players to continue their progress in their Realm on a different platform, and they can now share invite links to Realms with other players.

Finally, the Better Together update addresses a long list of bugs--so many that Mojang couldn't list them all in its patch notes. The developer did, however, specify that llamas will now no longer creepily stare at you while you ride them. You can read more about the Better Together update on the Minecraft website.

Minecraft Better Together Patch Notes

New Features

• Stained Glass
  
• Fireworks (with Elytra boost!)
  
• Parrots
  
• Banners
  
• Armor Stands
  
• Jukebox and music discs
  
• Recipe Book
  
• Book & Quill
  
• Ravines
  
• Coarse Dirt
  
• New world start options: Starting Map; Bonus Chest; Trust Players
  
• New game rules: Show Coordinates; TNT Explodes; Natural Regeneration
  
• Added "/tickingarea" command to create areas that still update when no players are there
  
• Player permissions
  
• Zombie Villager spawn egg
  
• In-game host options
  
• Paper doll viewer
  
• Outline selection toggle
  
• In-game player names toggle
  
• HUD opacity toggle
  
• Expanded Xbox Live multiplayer world settings
  
• New loading screens with funny and helpful tips
  
• How to Play screen
  
• Remix 3D export functionality (Windows 10 only)
  
• New achievements
  
• Server Partners
  
• Realms invite links
  
• Mash-up Packs and Texture Packs will now decorate the main menu and in-game HUD
  

Tweaks

• Rebalanced most of the game sound effects and music, such as rain being much quieter
  
• It is now much easier to see underwater after drinking a Potion of Water Breathing and Potion of Night Vision
  
• Blaze Powder is now needed to fuel brewing stands
  
• Ice blocks are now transparent
  
• Maps can now be held off-hand and show the heads of players' skins
  
• Locator maps now track the owner's position, regardless of dimension
  
• Worlds can now be set to Invite Only, Friends Only, or Friends of Friends
  
• Various improvements and changes to navigating the user interface
  
• Redesigned button mapping and added Pick Block for controllers
  
• Render Clouds and Fancy Leaves can now be toggled in Video Settings
  
• Skins can now be changed from the pause menu
  
• Chat messages can now be muted
  
• Items picked up are now animated on the hotbar
  
• Stained glass and banners will now spawn on End Cities
  
• Increased the default player limit on worlds from 5 to 8 on higher-end devices
  
• Block placement speed now matches the player's movement speed
  
• Temperature decreases with height and it can now snow at high elevations
  
• Observer blocks have updated textures and will now blink red when outputting a redstone pulse
  
• Adjusted the color that flashes when mobs are attacked
  
• Brick Blocks, Nether Brick Blocks, and Clay Blocks have been renamed to better differentiate from other items
  
• Underwater particles
  
• Jungle leaves are now transparent on higher-end devices when Fancy Leaves are enabled
  
• Changed the sound effects for Creeper explosions
  
• Added sound effects for placing Eyes of Ender into portal frames and opening The End portal
  

Bug fixes
"Too many to mention. My favourites are: making cats purr again, preventing bats from swimming underwater and stopping llamas from creepily turning their heads to stare at you while riding them."