You can play Minecraft Bedrock Edition VS Java just about anywhere–PC, consoles, and mobile devices all run Mojang’s seemingly immortal game. But the truth is that despite being on a dozen platforms, there are really just two versions: Bedrock and Java. If you’re looking to get into Minecraft, you’ll see people talking about these two versions, but what is the difference–and which one is best?
While every version of Minecraft is still Minecraft Bedrock Edition Switch, the differences between the Bedrock and Java versions can be quite extensive. To answer the question of which version is right for you, you will need to consider what features are most important to you. This article will break down the major differences and features of each version.
If you’re playing Minecraft with friends, you need to get the same version they have, so make sure to check with them before you buy. However, if you are the first of your clan to get the game, or you plan on doing some solo Minecraft, there are couple things to keep in mind before deciding which to go with.
But there’s one big choice to make before you ever create a world: Which version of Minecraft Bedrock Edition VS Java should you play? While the two versions of Minecraft — the “Java” and “Bedrock” editions — are mostly the same in terms of basic gameplay, there are also a few key differences.
Java vs. Bedrock: Why are there two versions?
When Minecraft just started to become popular in the early 2010s, there was just one platform and one version. Minecraft was built in Java and played on Windows and Linux. Bedrock, meanwhile, began its life as Minecraft Pocket Edition, a version meant to run well on mobile devices, but would eventually form the base for Bedrock Edition.
Bedrock Edition exists for a few reasons. One is that Java has tons of security vulnerabilities; a major vulnerability affected Minecraft Bedrock Edition VS Java as recently as December 2021, in which the Log4j vulnerability allowed users to execute code on a Minecraft server just by entering text into the game’s chatbox. If you’re putting your game onto every console in existence, you probably don’t want to accidentally make them all hackable–as much as console modders would love that.
Java is also not terribly well optimized for 3D games like Minecraft, and wouldn’t have run well on the first round of consoles it released on, which includes the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. Bedrock is a complete rebuild of Minecraft that both takes care of that security issue and lets Microsoft better optimize the game for modern game console hardware.
Java vs. Bedrock: What’s the difference?
There are a number of differences between Minecraft Bedrock Edition VS Java, including little mechanical differences–Minecraft on Java has more combat moves, and some mobs and items have different variables–though Microsoft has made an effort in recent years to ensure that Minecraft’s Bedrock and Java Editions are getting closer and closer together, rather than further apart.
If you’re playing on a console or mobile device–an Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, or Android/iOS device, you’ll be playing Bedrock. If you’re one of the few and proud that plays on a Linux device, you’re going to be playing Java. So we’ll assume those players already know what they want and focus on the rest of us playing on Windows 10 and 11 PCs.