Minecraft’s Better Together update brings cross-play to Nintendo Switch

A new version of Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition is available today, which allows players to play across Xbox One, Windows 10, VR, and mobile devices.

A new version of Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition is available today, which allows players to play across Xbox One, Windows 10, VR, and mobile devices.

The Better Together update allows cross-play between all those devices, but unfortunately PlayStation 4 owners are still not included this time around. The update is available now for free, so you can get started playing with friends on other systems right away. 

The Switch version of Minecraft utilizes the Bedrock engine, which is the newest version of the game across all devices. Along with the debut of Better Together, it’s also getting Phase One of the Update Aquatic, as well as all future updates that come to other platforms. If you need another reason to pick it up, though, since you may have Minecraft on the rest of your devices, consider that it has the Super Mario Mash-Up Pack with a ton of awesome Mario-themed goodies. 

To grab the update, just head in-game and follow the available prompts, or search for it in the Nintendo eShop, and you’ll be good to go.

Nintendo is eager to tout its crossplay credentials, especially since the most recent popular game to hit the console, Fortnite, has caused a storm around the issue.

Cross-play is not even a remote possibility for Fortnite with PlayStation 4 and other consoles. Sony has in fact gone one step further. It’s impossible for anyone who’s ever logged into a PlayStation 4 with their Epic Games credentials to play the game on Nintendo Switch, forcing players to create new accounts without access to their progression and cosmetic purchases.

This trailer clearly shows off how closely Nintendo and Microsoft have worked together to bring cross-play a reality, with the Xbox controller front and center. It would be great for gamers to see Sony finally jumping on board, but that doesn’t seem that it’ll ever become a reality. For now though we can enjoy Minecraft together on just about every device.