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Windows 10 gets its own Minecraft, coming July 29

Minecraft: Windows 10 Beta Edition adds more controls and GameDVR support, and won't cost a dime for existing Minecraft PC owners.

Scott Stein Editor at Large
I started with CNET reviewing laptops in 2009. Now I explore wearable tech, VR/AR, tablets, gaming and future/emerging trends in our changing world. Other obsessions include magic, immersive theater, puzzles, board games, cooking, improv and the New York Jets. My background includes an MFA in theater which I apply to thinking about immersive experiences of the future.
Expertise VR and AR, gaming, metaverse technologies, wearable tech, tablets Credentials
  • Nearly 20 years writing about tech, and over a decade reviewing wearable tech, VR, and AR products and apps
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Scott Stein
2 min read

minecraftwin10beta2017.jpg
Microsoft

How many more platforms can Minecraft be announced on? Does Windows 10 count? At today's MineCon conference, a worldwide gathering for Minecraft players, Microsoft announced Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition Beta will be arriving on Windows 10 on launch day, July 29.

It joins the many other places you can already play Minecraft: Windows, Mac, Windows Phone, iOS, Android, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS3, PS4 and PS Vita. Windows already has Minecraft, but this additional variant aims to be more tuned to what Windows 10 offers.

Minecraft is Microsoft's Tetris. Since purchasing Mojang, the Swedish creators of Minecraft, in 2014, Microsoft has put Minecraft into every Microsoft platform: on Xbox One, on HoloLens, and now Windows 10 .

Minecraft Windows 10 Edition Beta has additional optimizations that set it apart from the existing PC version: seamless swapping between touchscreen, controller or keyboard/mouse controls, Xbox Live and Minecraft Pocket Edition online play, and record/share support for built-in GameDVR functions. In many ways, the multiple control modes could make this version feel like the ultimate hybrid between mobile and desktop versions.

The good news is that owners of the PC version of Minecraft will get Minecraft Windows 10 Edition Beta for free. For others, it will cost $10 for an unspecified time. It's not really a beta in the traditional sense, though. Much like previous versions of Minecraft, future updates will be free. Can I say whether you'll prefer the PC or Windows 10 version better? No, I can't. But it makes for a pretty big Windows 10 launch game.