Minecraft for Windows
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Have a question about Minecraft for Windows? For general info and answers to your questions about Xbox games, visit:
Things to keep in mind:
- This game may not be available in all locales.
- You can find info that's specific to this game by going to the title's product detail page in the Microsoft Store:
For Minecraft for Windows forums and community support, visit the Minecraft Help Centre or the Xbox forums:
Troubleshooting
Check the Xbox status
If you have problems with Minecraft for Windows, check the Xbox status before contacting support. If you see any alerts, wait until the service is up and running and then try again.
To check for any service alerts, go to:
Common troubleshooting tips
If you get stuck and want to learn more about crafting items or expanding your inventory, visit the Minecraft Wiki page:
For more help with issues while playing games on a Windows device, go to:
Frequently asked questions about Minecraft for Windows
Why did the name for Minecraft on PC change?
Minecraft now has one gaming experience with the release of the Better Together Update in 2017. This means that the splintered Minecraft updates and features that existed between Windows devices, consoles, and mobile devices are unified with our base code that we call the Bedrock Engine.
What was once Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition is now Minecraft, or Minecraft for Windows. This is also true for other editions across devices and consoles, and with this change players can now explore the world of Minecraft together from almost any device.
For more info about this change, go to:
Can I continue playing my existing version of Minecraft: Java Edition?
Yes, you can. Minecraft for Windows and Minecraft: Java Edition will continue to co-exist as separate games.
What happens to my existing Minecraft worlds? Can they be played on the Windows version?
Because Minecraft for Windows and Minecraft: Java Edition exist as separate games, worlds that you've created in both games will remain separate, as well.
Minecraft for Windows isn't intended to be an upgrade to Minecraft: Java Edition. You can play the Windows version in parallel with Minecraft: Java Edition.
With your copy of Java, you can still experience new features before players of our Bedrock Engine and provide feedback.
If you want to experience the features that are available in Minecraft: Java Edition, you can try it before you buy it. To learn more about the demo and what issues to look out for when playing, see:
I'm an existing Xbox or Windows Phone player. Can I transfer my existing worlds to Minecraft for Windows?
It's possible to transfer worlds between devices, but it can be difficult and limited. If you have a Minecraft Realms subscription, you may be able to upload your world as a Realm and download it to another device.
For more info on how to do this, and how to manage your Minecraft data, visit:
Playing Minecraft for Windows
How do I play Minecraft for Windows?
To play Minecraft, first you'll need to install the Minecraft Launcher to your Windows device.
This launcher can be installed from the Microsoft Store. You can install any PC-compatible versions of Minecraft that you already own with the account that you're signed in to with the Minecraft Launcher (such as Minecraft, Minecraft: Java Edition, and Minecraft Dungeons).
For more info on the Minecraft Launcher for Windows, go to:
Can I play online with other people on my Windows device? What about on different devices?
You can play with up to four other people who are running Minecraft for Windows or Minecraft on a mobile device on your local are network (LAN) connection. You can also play online with up to four of your friends on the Xbox network in online multiplayer gaming.
If you or your friends subscribe to Minecraft Realms, you can play online with up to 10 players on different devices, depending on the Realm owner's type of subscription. For more info on Realms, visit:
How do I change how my character looks?
If you don't want to play as Steve or Alex, you can choose from one of our skin packs by selecting Skins on the home page, or you can create and upload your own personalised skin. For more info, go to:
Do I need to be online to play Minecraft for Windows?
If you're planning to be in an area with no online coverage, you can prepare your Windows device to allow you to play Minecraft offline.
For details on how to configure your Windows device for offline play, go to:
You can play Minecraft for Windows in single-player mode or multiplayer via a LAN connection.
However, leaderboards, purchasing additional Store content, Realms, Servers, and other multiplayer features aren't available when you're playing offline.
If you earn any achievements while playing offline, they will sync to your account the next time you sign in to the Xbox network on your device. Your game save progress will also sync when you connect online.
How do I record and upload game clips?
For info about creating game clips, visit:
How do I provide feedback on the game?
The development team at Minecraft is actively working on feedback as they receive it to bring you the best version of Minecraft ever made. If you have comments or suggestions to share with the development team, go to:
Where do I find out more about Minecraft?
There's a whole community of players who are dedicated to helping you explore all the features of the game and what you can do in your world. To learn more about what you can do in Minecraft, go to:
If you're playing Minecraft on a platform other than a Windows device and you need support, visit:
Playing Minecraft on Oculus Rift
What do I need to play?
To play Minecraft on Oculus Rift, you'll need to have a copy of Minecraft for Windows either bought from the Microsoft Store, or from the Oculus Store. Once you've bought it, signing in to both your Microsoft account and your Oculus account will sync the game between the two. This also means that any add-ons or skin packs you buy will be available to play on your Oculus Rift.
Note While the Oculus Rift virtual reality set is no longer manufactured, it is still compatible with Windows devices and Xbox Wireless Controllers.
I'm running an older version of Windows, Linux, or OSX. Can I use Minecraft for Windows with Oculus Rift support?
You'll need to have the Windows 10 or Windows 11 operating systems running to use Minecraft for Windows. If you're running Windows 10, you'll also need to be on version 1511 or later. For help on how to upgrade to the latest version of Windows, go to:
The Oculus Minecraft app is crashing with the error 0x80070422. What do I do?
Make sure that you have Windows Update enabled:
- Press the Windows logo key and type Services.
- Scroll down to Windows Update.
- Right-click and select Start from the menu.
My Oculus Minecraft app says that Windows 10, Update 1511 is required. What do I do?
If you're planning to be in an area with no online coverage, you can prepare your Windows device to allow you to play Minecraft for Windows offline.
For details on how to configure your device for offline play, visit:
Restart the Oculus Store and see if the Oculus Minecraft app update fixes this. If not, this may be due to a Windows update either failing or not being applied. To troubleshoot:
- Run the official Windows Update Trouble-shooter:
- Press the Windows logo key and enter Check for updates into the search box.
- Select the matching result, and then review the page to see if there are any missing Windows updates available. If so, install them.
- Restart your computer by using the Restart option from the Power menu.
My Oculus Minecraft app is crashing and giving me an "exception in ucrtbase.dll" message. How do I fix it?
Follow the steps directly above to see if there are any missing Windows updates available.
The Oculus Minecraft app says that launching Minecraft "failed." Why?
Make sure that you aren't already running Minecraft for Windows. If you are, make sure to close the app before trying to play it from the Oculus Minecraft app. If you continue to have problems, try running Minecraft by playing it from the Xbox app. This may give you more insight into why the game won't play.
If you continue to have issues, reach out to Xbox Support:
I'm seeing strange graphics issues when I try to play the game. What's happening?
Make certain your graphics drivers are up to date. If you have an Nvidia graphics card, you may need to visit the Nvidia support site to get the latest drivers. Download and install the new drivers, and then restart your computer.
For more help with updating your Nvidia graphics card, go to:
I have dual graphics cards and multiple monitors. I can hear the Minecraft music, but the game is stuck on a white screen with “Please wait.” What do I do?
This may be due to some confusion between your graphics cards regarding HDMI input and Oculus Rift. If you have HDMI inputs going into both cards, unplug the HDMI input that's not associated with the Oculus Rift.
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