Minecraft Personal Computer Version

he game runs on multiple operating systems, including Microsoft Windows, OS X, and Linux.[46][82] Apart from the main version, there are other versions of Minecraft available for PC, including Minecraft Classic and Minecraft 4k.

Minecraft Classic is an older version of Minecraft, available online for players. Unlike newer versions of Minecraft, the classic version is free to play, though it is no longer updated. It functions much the same as creative mode, allowing players to build and destroy any and all parts of the world either alone or in a multiplayer server. There are no computer creatures in this mode, and environmental hazards such as lava will not damage players. Some blocks function differently since their behaviour was later changed during development.[83][84][85]

Minecraft 4k is a simplified version of Minecraft similar to the classic version that was developed for the Java 4K game programming contest "in way less than 4 kilobytes".[86] The map itself is finite—composed of 64×64×64 blocks—and the same world is generated every time. Players are restricted to placing or destroying blocks, which consist of grass, dirt, stone, wood, leaves, and brick.[87]

Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition is a version exclusive to Microsoft's Windows 10 operating system. The beta for it launched on the Windows Store on 29 July 2015.[88] This version has the ability to play with Xbox Live friends, and to play local multiplayer with owners of the Pocket Edition. Other features include the ability to use multiple control schemes, such as a gamepad, keyboard, or touchscreen (for Windows Phone and Microsoft Surface), and to record and take screenshots in-game via the built-in GameDVR.[89]

Console versions
An Xbox 360 version of the game, developed by 4J Studios, was released on 9 May 2012.[90][91] On 22 March 2012, it was announced that Minecraft would be the flagship game in a new Xbox Live promotion called Arcade NEXT.[91] The game differs from the home computer versions in a number of ways, including a newly designed crafting system, the control interface, in-game tutorials, split-screen multiplayer, and the ability to play with friends via Xbox Live.[92][93] The worlds in the Xbox 360 version are also not "infinite", and are essentially barricaded by invisible walls.[93] The Xbox 360 version was originally similar in content to older PC versions, but is being gradually updated to bring it closer to the current PC version.[90][94][95] An Xbox One version featuring larger worlds among other enchantments[96] was released on 5 September 2014.[96]

Versions of the game for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4 were released on 17 December 2013 and 4 September 2014 respectively.[6] The PlayStation 4 version was announced as a launch title, though it was eventually delayed.[97][98] A version for PS Vita was also released in October 2014.[99] Like the Xbox versions, the PlayStation versions were developed by 4J Studios.[100]

On 17 December 2015, Minecraft: Wii U Edition was released. The Wii U version received a physical release on 17 June 2016 in North America,[101] in Japan on 23 June 2016,[102]and in Europe on 30 June 2016.[103] A Nintendo Switch version of the game was released on the Nintendo eShop on May 11, 2017, along with a physical retail version set for a later date.[104] During a Nintendo Direct presentation on 13 September 2017, Nintendo announced that Minecraft: New Nintendo 3DS Edition would be available for download immediately after the livestream, and a physical copy available on a later date. The game is only compatible with the "New" versions of the 3DS and 2DS systems, and does not work with the original 3DS, 3DS XL, or 2DS models.[13]