User description

Minecraft is a classic game that continues to evolve and change over time, but its overall visual style has remained relatively static since the game's debut over 10 years ago. Minecraft is still very much the same game, with the exception of the manual changes you can make using texture packs and shaders. Many players are wondering when or if Minecraft will become an Optimized game for Microsoft's Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles. The Minecraft experience on these powerful machines doesn't really stand out, which is disappointing for the community. Mojang Studios demonstrated the potential by adding raytracing support to compatible Windows Windows PCs. The expectation is that Minecraft on Xbox Series X Mojang Studios has yet commit to a proper current gen upgrade for Minecraft on Xbox Series X Here's all you need to learn about Minecraft and ray tracing in Xbox Series X What is Minecraft? The Xbox Series X and S represent a new generation of console gaming, with powerful evolutionary hardware pushing groundbreaking features that we haven't seen in the console space before, like faster SSD storage, ray tracing, and more reliable performance - even with upgraded visuals. Minecraft, being one of Microsoft's biggest and most successful franchises and one of the greatest Xbox games, works on the Xbox Series X|S from day one through the platform's impressive backward-compatibility program, even if it doesn't currently support many of the latest features that the Xbox Series X|S can utilize for current-gen games. Expect a "Minecraft 2", or even a modified version of Minecraft for Xbox Series X Mojang Studios will instead leverage Minecraft: Bedrock Edition if Minecraft receives an update to take advantage of current-gen hardware. This more modern version of Minecraft currently spans Xbox One, Windows 10 & 11, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, Android, and iOS platforms with one code base and feature set across all platforms. This is all possible due to the Bedrock foundation and the Render Dragon engine, which allows Minecraft: Bedrock Edition to dynamically conform to whatever platform you're playing on with the same great experience and gameplay with which you're familiar. S. In fact, some of these potential upgrades have already appeared on other platforms. Neither the exact delivery nor timeline for these upgrades has been confirmed yet, but we can discuss all the possibilities and everything we do know for certain. S The new consoles are all about making gaming easier. This means less waiting and more playing. These immediate benefits are available to Minecraft right away on Xbox Series X S's super-fast SSD. Smoother animations and smoother performance are possible due to greater draw distances (how far apart you can see at once). Also, stability is better when there are many things happening on the screen like explosions or large fights between multiple mobs. However, Minecraft actually doesn't appear to run much better on the Xbox Series X|S versus the Xbox One generation, and may actually suffer from running in backward-compatibility mode at times, with previously rarer frame drops and lag becoming more prevalent. I have previously written about how disappointing Minecraft can be on Xbox Series X These issues could be resolved by a Minecraft upgrade to the current-gen. S right now is Quick Resume, which means you can have multiple games and applications suspended in the background and nearly instantaneously resume them at a moment's notice without sacrificing performance. Quick Resume is available in Minecraft. This allows players to jump right back into Minecraft even if the console is turned off or another game has been played. Other improvements seem to depend on the possibility of a future update for Minecraft. One of the biggest features that Minecraft could greatly benefit from on Xbox Series X This incredible technology allows games to track the path of light beams and information in real-time, leading to much more realistic reflections, shadows, environments, and more. S. S Ray tracing can be a vague term in gaming that doesn't concern most gamers. BOOKS Ray tracing, when used correctly, can have a significant impact on the game's appearance, particularly in the atmosphere. On games that are already meant to be photo-realistic, ray tracing allows them to take it to the next level by accurately portraying lighting instead of simply "guessing" as was commonplace before. It's very complicated, but fortunately, we're here to break it all down. Ray tracing requires three things in order to work: capable hardware and supported drivers and software. All three of these are present in Xbox Series X Minecraft could eventually be one of the games to support real-time ray tracing on these consoles. Now, it should be noted that Minecraft with ray tracing already exists, and it looks incredible, completely altering the look and feel of this over-10-year-old game. We even paired Minecraft using ray tracing and a NVIDIA RTX3060 to get even more beautiful results. However, Minecraft with ray tracing is currently available only for Minecraft: Bedrock Edition on Windows 10 when paired with high-end NVIDIA RTX GPUs, and is either restricted to specific maps or requires a lot of manual work to use. NVIDIA, the original pioneer in raytracing technology, has been working with Microsoft to create a robust toolkit that game developers can use for bringing the tech to their games. Minecraft: Bedrock Edition is the ideal platform to showcase this technology because the Render Dragon engine supports modern technologies such as DXR through Microsoft DirectX 12. However, the Xbox Series X/S doesn't use NVIDIA graphics card, so they don’t support ray tracing. They do, but not in the same manner. The custom-designed AMD hardware was used by the Xbox Series X (and Series S) for their CPUs, and GPUs. This AMD hardware will use DirectX 12 Ultimate (Microsoft’s suite of developer-centric APIs), in combination with AMD's advanced RDNA 2 architecture to bring raytracing to console gaming (and AMD Hardware) for the very first time. S is mired in mystery. Minecraft with RTX is basically a completed product on Windows, but it took months to get there and still isn't close to perfect. To implement ray tracing in Minecraft on Xbox Series X It's impossible to tell how far behind Minecraft is on both the Xbox Series X (and Series S) because they're preparing ray tracing with new AMD hardware, a relative newcomer to the ray-tracing industry. Austin Evan shows Minecraft with ray tracing on the Xbox Series X in action, as expected. Microsoft also clarified to us that this was a technical demonstration and not a product reveal. Xbox Smart Delivery or a free upgrade bring Minecraft to Xbox Series X If Minecraft is Optimized for Xbox Series X Microsoft has been very clear about their stance here and has even told developers that they recommend providing current-gen upgrades as a free update for existing games, rather than as separate DLC or new games. Since Minecraft is a first-party Microsoft title, it's all but guaranteed to allow players to enjoy new features on Xbox Series X S. Smart Delivery is a technology that allows games only to download the required parts for the platform on the which they are being played. The Xbox One player doesn't require the 4K assets and textures or the enhanced visuals of Series S. This allows for smaller download sizes and potentially better performance. S game. This is in contrast to the process required for PS5 games, which must be kept separate from PS4. Like mentioned earlier, developers are encouraged to offer free upgrades to existing games to enable new current-gen features. Developers have the final say. Even if they decide to provide a free upgrade (which many already have), the delivery method is up to them as well. JUST PREMIUM E Microsoft's Smart Delivery is the most straightforward. It involves publishing one game and then having the console automatically download the appropriate content to provide the best experience possible. I fully expect Minecraft to take advantage of Smart Delivery, being a first-party title. While it hasn't been confirmed, it would genuinely be shocking if Microsoft ignores its own advice and chooses an alternative upgrade path for players downloading Minecraft on their Xbox Series X and S consoles. S. Will crossplay and cross-platform features remain in Minecraft on Xbox Series X Minecraft has been a poster child for cross-platform support, and was one of the earliest games to offer crossplay across platform lines. Premium e While many people feared that Microsoft would take Minecraft away from other platforms in favor of Xbox and Windows, that fear never came to pass, and Mojang Studios has continued its cross-platform philosophy by releasing the Bedrock Edition for PlayStation 4. Even Minecraft Dungeons, an all-new IP for Mojang Studios that expands on the Minecraft franchise, launched simultaneously on Xbox, Windows, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch, and now features cross-play. Minecraft being upgraded for current-gen consoles shouldn't affect cross-platform features in any way, as it'll all still be built on the universal Minecraft: Bedrock Edition. S will have a superior gaming experience with new current-gen features, but they should still be able to play with all of their friends on other platforms, including Xbox One. As it's all done client side, real-time ray-tracing shouldn’t have any effect on this. S players in the same lobby will see Minecraft as they always have. Of course, there's always a chance that something will change here. Mojang Studios has confirmed nothing about Minecraft on Xbox Series X That being said, I firmly believe that a current-gen upgrade wouldn't affect Minecraft's cross-platform and crossplay features. Will I keep my data and purchases with cross-save in Minecraft on Xbox Series X Since the version of Minecraft you'll play on the Xbox Series X and Series S will be the exact same as the version you'll play on other platforms, and will be synced through your Microsoft account, Minecraft Marketplace purchases and other save data should still carry over. Your maps should also carry over from Xbox One, as long as you have cloud saves turned on, so you can download your maps and enjoy all the greatness that the Xbox Series X This is the benefit of taking advantage of features like Smart Delivery, because instead of having to figure out how to connect two entirely separate games (if a developer even bothers), Mojang Studios can use all the existing features in Minecraft that protect your progression. That means it should be easier than ever to keep all of your information moving forward and ensure any money you spent purchasing new maps, worlds, or packs in Minecraft doesn't go to waste on Xbox Series X Protecting cross-save also matters if you're coming from Minecraft: Bedrock Edition on another platform to Xbox Series X When will Minecraft be released on Xbox Series X The question to end all queries (and the one that gets asked the most on Windows Central social networking accounts) is when Minecraft will get upgraded for the Xbox Series X/Series S. At this time, however, we don't know when or if Minecraft will be upgraded to be more responsive on Xbox Series X It's easy to believe that Minecraft will be upgraded for Xbox Series X Mojang Studios has yet to confirm that it is happening. Therefore, we cannot speculate on a release date. S using the Minecraft Preview program. It was only available to a select few players for a brief period of time. This caused a huge response from the Minecraft community. Many believed that the release indicated that Mojang Studios was about to make an announcement and begin testing the feature. Mojang Studios had to remove the prototype code. Instead, they released the following disapproving statement: The previous Minecraft Preview build that was made available to Xbox Insiders accidentally included prototype code to support ray tracing on Xbox consoles. This early prototype code was removed from Preview. It doesn't indicate any near future plans to add raytracing support for consoles. S Minecraft gamers in the dark. S. Even though the feature is not yet ready for release, players deserve to know that it is at least in the planning stages and that Mojang Studios plans to release it in the near future. We're always on the lookout for more information about when Minecraft might be updated for Xbox Series X We'll keep you informed of any new information as soon as we find it. Minecraft is compatible with Xbox Series X and Series S through Xbox backward compatibility. This means that it works well for the majority of the time. Playing on Xbox Series X S? What about the PlayStation 5 instead? The current-gen console from Sony has many of the same benefits that the Series X and Series S Xbox, so will Minecraft be upgraded for PS5 as well? The answer here is a little bit muddier, but we can be more confident about some things on PS5. S. It has similar technologies, such as real-time ray tracing technology, powerful hardware and fast SSDs. PS5 is different in that it uses these technologies differently from Microsoft. Instead of using Microsoft's DirectX or AMDs full RDNA 2, it uses more custom solutions. Microsoft may not fully support the PS5 beyond the technical aspects of bringing Minecraft to PS5 via a current-gen update. Minecraft is still a cross-platform video game that receives updates simultaneously on PS5 and Microsoft platforms such as Xbox and Windows. But that doesn't necessarily mean that Microsoft has to fully support PS5. Minecraft Dungeons, for instance, is now Xbox Series X The Minecraft Dungeons latest-gen upgrade is far easier than what may happen to Minecraft and ray tracering. Although PS5 supports ray-tracing and it is used in many other games, it isn't clear how difficult it would take to implement it within Minecraft without Microsoft's DirectX technologies. If I had to hazard a guess, I'd suggest that Minecraft will not receive an upgrade on PS5. To ensure Minecraft offers the best possible experience on Microsoft platforms, all current-gen Minecraft versions will be reserved exclusively for Xbox Series X S. We'll have to wait to see if there are any more details. S as well as other formatting and grammar tweaks. A gaming masterpiece All available everywhere you play Minecraft is an undisputed success story. It has sold millions of copies, has a large following of dedicated gamers, and allows you to unleash your creative potential. S technology, and there is no ray tracing nor any other Optimizations. A collection of games Xbox Game Pass Ultimate All your gaming requirements in one subscription Is the Xbox Game Pass Ultimate worth the money? It's possible. Ultimate bundles your Xbox Live Gold subscription, Xbox Game Pass for Xbox consoles and PC Game Pass for Windows devices, and Xbox Cloud Gaming for on-the-go fun. Minecraft is included in Xbox and PC Game Pass, but ray tracing support is only available on Windows.