In 2018, Mojang and Microsoft introduced a new version of Minecraft called the “Bedrock Edition,” which unified almost all platforms and allowed players to play with their friends across PC, Xbox, mobile, and Nintendo Switch. One system left out of the fun at the time was Sony’s PlayStation 4, but the game’s latest update will rectify this.
Coming later this week, the next Minecraft update on PS4 will turn the game into the Bedrock Edition, which is the same version used by other current-generation platforms. With the update, you’ll be able to team up with your friends playing the game on Xbox One or Nintendo Switch, for example. You won’t have to pay any extra to get the Bedrock Edition on PS4, as it will automatically be converted over when you receive the next update.
Alongside the new crossplay functionality, PS4 players can also access the Minecraft Marketplace to find new skins and add-on content. If you’ve been jealous of the extra goodies your friends on other platforms have been experiencing, your wait is finally over.
Unfortunately, Minecraft might not look as gorgeous as Mojang previously thought possible. Back in August, the studio canceled a “Super Duper Graphics Update” because of technical issues, after having announced it two years earlier. With any luck, those new bells and whistles will be possible on next-generation systems.
You will still not be able to play Minecraft with PC players who happen to be running the Java Edition of the game. That version is slightly different in its features and is crossplay compatible only with MacOS, Linux, and Windows.
With Minecraft joining in on the crossplay fun, the list of games with crossplay support across consoles and PC continues to grow. Call of Duty: Modern Warfare might be the biggest title to support the feature this holiday season, with console and PC players able to enjoy competitive multiplayer together. They are also able to turn the feature off if they choose, however, in order to lessen any competitive advantage PC players may have. In our experience, we have seen very few games where controllers and mouse-and-keyboard setups are both used, so the crossplay support hasn’t come at the cost of fairness.