Today, Nintendo and Mojang announced that an upcoming update for Minecraft will finally unify just about all of the major platforms the game supports. While Sony is still not playing nice with cross-platform multiplayer, the definitive version of the game for Switch will allow players to slay monsters together no matter which platform they are on starting next month.
While Switch gamers can already create their own blocky worlds in the digital version of Minecraft, the physical copy with the aforementioned Bedrock update is set to launch in late June. Along with cross-platform multiplayer on Xbox One, PC, mobile and VR versions of the game, the update will bring many of the game’s newest features to Switch for the first time. Sony still isn’t allowing cross-platform multiplayer with Xbox, so the PS4 version of the game isn’t included in the festivities here.
The Bedrock Edition of Minecraft will come with all previously released DLC for the game including the Super Mario Mash-Up add-on and more. It will also include free multiplayer until the new Nintendo Online service kicks in (more on that below).
Specifically, the in-game Minecraft Marketplace will now appear on the Switch version which can enhance the overall experience significantly. MINECOINS are king and allow you to acquire loads of different things including community created add-ons like skins, textures and complete maps for that matter. Access to a series of online servers will also provide additional content in the form of mini games and the like.
As we know, the Switch Virtual Console is likely not going to happen as Nintendo just recently announced its plans for online play and cloud support for its latest hardware. Better late then never, starting in September a small subscription fee will be required for online play and cloud saves, among other things. As we mentioned above, online play in Minecraft will remain free until September, but you’re looking at $4 a month (or $20 per year there after). You can get all the details on that right here.
In any case, it is always great news when games that have been out for this long get major updates and the cross-platform play is a nice touch as well. Minecraft for Switch will run you $30 in physical or digital form, but if you already own the game, the Bedrock Edition update is yours for free once it launches on June 21st. Amazon Prime members can pre-order the physical copy for $21 or so.
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