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Minecraft Bedrock for PC: How to Get It

2 min read

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Bedrock is the edition that plays with consoles and phones. On PC it now comes bundled with Java in a single purchase — here is what that gets you.

Minecraft Bedrock for PC is the version that talks to everything else. If you want to play with friends on Xbox, PlayStation, Switch or a phone, this is the edition you need on Windows — and it is no longer sold on its own.

What Minecraft Bedrock for PC costs

On PC, Bedrock runs on Windows 10 and 11 and installs through the Minecraft Launcher. Since 2022 it has been sold as Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition for PC — one purchase, both editions, one launcher. There is no separate Bedrock licence to buy any more.

Bedrock vs Java on the same PC

  • Crossplay — Bedrock plays with consoles and mobile. Java is PC-only.
  • Marketplace — Bedrock has paid skins, worlds and add-ons. Java has free mods.
  • Mods — Java wins outright. Forge, Fabric and the whole modding scene are Java.
  • Performance — Bedrock is generally lighter on older hardware.

What you need

A Microsoft account and Windows 10 or later. There is no official Bedrock build for macOS or Linux — on those, Java is the only option.

Playing with console friends

Sign in with the same Microsoft account, add them as Xbox friends, and join from the Friends tab. Realms and servers both work across platforms, as long as everyone is on Bedrock.