Minecraft has both a PC and mobile version available. Whether playing the Survival or Creative modes, players often prefer Minecraft for PC because it has an enhanced user experience. The Minecraft Pocket Edition is fairly lightweight and has much fewer system requirements than the PC versions. However, it has a major limitation; since all the controls are on the screen, you get a limited view with your thumbs blocking parts of your screen.
Now, you can bypass this limitation by playing Minecraft Pocket Edition on your PC, and in this post, we are going to show you how to do it.
Minecraft has multiple versions, built to enable users to play across different devices. If you break them down, Minecraft has over 15 versions, but we’ll classify them here.
Minecraft for PC (Java Edition) - Mac, Windows, and Linux.
Minecraft Windows 10 (now the Bedrock Edition.)
Minecraft for the web (Classic edition).
Minecraft Pocket edition - Android and iOS included.
Minecraft for consoles - PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo.
Minecraft for education.
Is Minecraft on PC Free?
If you want to play Minecraft on your PC, you have 2 options: the Classic Edition(Browser) and the Java Edition. The classic edition is completely free. All you need is a browser and a PC with a keyboard. The Java Edition on the other hand is not free, you will have to purchase it for $26.95 USD or your local currency equivalent.
Minecraft Java edition does have a free trial period for 90 minutes of in-game time. This version is available for Windows, Android, PlayStation, and Vita.
How Much Is Minecraft on PC?
The different versions of Minecraft for PC all have different prices. To find out how much Minecraft is on PC, you can refer to this table.
Minecraft for PCs has two major options for you to choose from. Depending on the platform on which you want to experience the game, you can choose either Minecraft Java or Minecraft Windows 10. Being the original version of the game, Minecraft Java was built solely for PCs. You can play it on a PC using either of the major operating systems, including macOS, Windows 7 and higher, and Linux.
Minecraft Windows 10 was developed later on based on the Bedrock Edition for devices that support Windows 10, mobile devices, and consoles. Let’s look at how the differences between these two versions translate to practice.
Mods
Both versions support mods so that players have endless possibilities when playing the game. The difference is that with Minecraft Java, you only make a purchase once, to acquire the game and you get access to an extensive library of free mods. Whereas, with Minecraft Windows 10, there's an in-game store where you can purchase mods and install them in your gameplay.
Crossplay
If you want to play with players from different platforms, such as Xbox, mobile, etc., you should choose the Windows 10 version. This feature is not available in the Java Edition, which allows you to only play with PC users.
Controllers
Since the Java Edition was primarily made for PCs, you can only use the keyboard and mouse as controllers. Minecraft Windows 10 on the other hand, allows you to use console controllers in addition to the keyboard and mouse.
System requirements: Minimum and Recommended
Minecraft Java Edition
System requirement
Minimum
Recommended
Operating system
Windows 7 and up 64-bit macOS using 10.9 maverick or newer Linux - modern 64-bit distros from 2014 onwards
Windows 10 - 64 bit macOS 10.12 Sierra Linux - modern 64-bit distros from 2014 onwards
Intel HD Graphics 4000 / AMD Radeon R5 series with OpenGL 4.4
Nvidia GeForce 700 Series or AMD Radeon Rx 200 Series with OpenGL 4.5
Network
Broadband internet connection
Broadband internet connection
Storage
2GB HDD
4GB SSD
Minecraft Windows 10
System requirement
Minimum
Recommended
Operating system
Windows 10 version 14393.0 or higher, & Xbox One
Windows 10 version 14393.0 or higher, & Xbox One
CPU
Intel Celeron J4105 / AMD FX-4100 or better
Intel i7-6500U / AMD A8-6600K or better
RAM
4GB
8GB
Graphics
Intel HD Graphics 4000 / AMD Radeon R5 series
NVIDIA GeForce 940M / AMD Radeon HD 8570D
Network
Broadband internet connection
Broadband internet connection
Storage
2GB HDD
2GB SSD
2How to Download Minecraft for PC?
Let’s see how you can download Minecraft on your PC. If your system meets the requirements above, you can download Minecraft on your PC in the following steps.
Step 1: Purchase Minecraft
Go to Minecraft.net and click on ‘Get Minecraft’. Select the version you want to use and complete the purchase.
Step 2: Download Minecraft
Go back to minecraft.net and log in by providing your email and password. Next, navigate to the download link and download the launcher
Step 3: Install Minecraft
Then install it on your PC. Make sure to click on start launcher after closing the installer. When the game is launched, provide your email and password once again to start playing.
How to Update Minecraft Bedrock on PC?
With the Wild Update for Minecraft Bedrock just being released in June this year, you might be looking to update your PC version. Although this version should automatically update, sometimes this doesn’t happen.
So here’s what you need to do. Go to the Microsoft Store and navigate to Downloads and Updates. Next, select Get Updates and all your installed applications including Minecraft will be updated.
3How to Play Minecraft on PC Using AirDroid Cast?
If you have installed the Minecraft Pocket edition on your phone, and you also want to play minecraft on PC, using AirDroid Cast is the best choise. Minecraft Pocket edition has stronger parental controls and allows invite-only multiplayer making it child-friendly. It is also lightweight and the speed is appropriate for mobile devices.
However, having controls on your screen means that your thumbs will be blocking a portion of your view. This experience is not pleasant. There’s a way to harness all of the pros of the pocket edition without the cons.
With AirDroid Cast, you can do this by launching the Pocket Edition on your phone and casting the screen to your computer. By doing this, you will encounter the following benefits:
A larger screen that delivers a better in-game experience.
Avoid downloading the PC version which consumes your PC’s memory
Save money because you don't need to purchase an Xbox Live Gold subscription to sync game progress between different devices
How does it work?
You can set up AirDroid Cast and play Minecraft Pocket Edition on your PC in these steps.
Step 1.Free download
Start by downloading AirDroid Cast on both your phone and PC. You can get the versions for PC and iOS, on the AirDroid Cast download page. The Android version is available on Google Play Store.
Launch the application on both devices and choose your connection method from the ones below.
Wireless
Here you can either use the cast code on the PC version of AirDroid Cast or use your camera to scan the QR code. A casting request will be displayed on the PC which you need to Allow. Also, a casting permission will pop up on your phone which you need to enable.
AirPlay
For iOS devices, you must ensure that your phone and PC are connected to the same WiFi network and that the AirPlay service is running from the AirPlay tab. From here, go to Control Center>Screen Mirroring on your iPhone and then select the device labeled AirDroid Cast - xxx
USB
Connect your phone and PC via a USB cable and click on the USB tab. Select your phone from the available devices.
Step 3.Project your screen and play Minecraft
Once you have enabled the connection permission, your phone’s screen will be cast on your PC. You can now launch the Minecraft Pocket version directly from your PC using AirDroid Cast.
Pros
Cast at your convenience - AirDroid Cast has multiple casting options for you to choose from including WLAN, AirPlay, and USB. You can cast both an Android and iOS device to your PC.
Enjoy high-quality audio and video - You get to have an immersive experience with high-quality video. Suppose you’re using the voice chat mod, you can benefit from AirDroid Cast’s two-way audio feature.
4How to Play Minecraft with Friends on PC?
Minecraft is such a versatile game, allowing you to share the experiences of survival and world-building with your friends. You can connect with your friends in these ways:
Play Minecraft on an online Server
Players can join servers for free and play with others. To join a server, click on the servers tab. You will find some featured servers which you can join directly by clicking Join Server.
But if you want to create your own server, scroll down to the bottom of the featured servers section and click on the Add Server button. Next, add the server name and address. You can also join a friend's server, which is not among the featured servers in the same way.
Play Minecraft on a Local Area Network (LAN)
A local area network can enable you to connect with friends nearby and play. If both of you are under the same local IP address, all you have to do is launch Minecraft and click on Multiplayer. Next select ‘Direct connect’ then enter the IP address and press enter.
The Xbox controller is compatible with PCs. For this reason, you can play Minecraft on your PC using the Xbox controller.
5Common Troubleshooting Tips about Minecraft
Game freezes or stops responding on a Windows device; how to fix it?
You can solve this by updating your graphics card drivers. Use Windows+R to open the dialog box and type 'dxdiag' and click on the Display in the dxdiag window. From here you can find the video card manufacturer's name and model. Next, download and install the drivers. You will need to reboot your computer after installation.
The reason why the name for Minecraft on PC has been changed
Minecraft Windows 10 changed its name to Bedrock, using its code base as inspiration. This change was to remove the notion that it’s for PCs only, it can also run on the Minecraft Console and mobile devices.
Pink and black checkered boxes appear where textures should be; how do I fix this?
Go to settings and delete all the textures in the storage folder. Download them again and go back to the game to see if your issue has been fixed.
How do I fix Minecraft chunk glitching?
Seeing a chunk of blocks shifting rapidly between biomes can be a source of panic. You can fix this by navigating to menu>options>video settings. Then click on the toggle that says 'Use VBOs' to switch it on.
6Final Verdict
Playing Minecraft on your PC makes for a better and seamless experience as it is easier to play with the keyboard and mouse rather than having your controller on your screen. This version however comes with system requirements for memory, storage, CPU, etc., which your computer may not necessarily have.
AirDroid Cast presents an opportunity to bypass these limitations by simply playing the Minecraft Pocket version on your PC. It gives you multiple connection options and high-quality video and audio to ensure you have a delightful experience when playing Minecraft on your PC.
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