Hey all. A few days back Mojang Studios announced Minecraft Preview which is the successor of the Minecraft Bedrock Beta program. Those who have been playing on their Xbox, Windows 10 computers, and Android devices have been able to sign up and try out and test the new features that will eventually be officially released into the base version of the game. Below I'll cover what this new program is and what that means for the beta program going forward.
What is it?
The Minecraft Preview is the next step in Mojang Studio's plan to bring this program to additional platforms. While currently, the Preview is only available on Xbox, Windows, and Android for now, (additional information in the next point). The key feature to the Preview is that you don't have to choose between playing on Beta or playing the current official release of the game. Both are available on your platform at the same time.
Are there any new platforms available and possible future platforms?
Actually yes! iOS and Windows 10/11 are the first two new platforms testing this out. At this time there isn't a definite answer but Mojang Studios is looking to add more in the future. Stay tuned for information at a later date.
As of writing this though the current batch of allowed players to test the Preview on iOS is already full. There will be more information later when others can join in as well.
What does this mean for Beta?
Ultimately this means that Beta will eventually be retired and Preview will take its place. For now, the Beta and Preview will overlap slightly with those still testing the Beta.
How do I join?
- On iOS, there will be a specific URL that you can use to sign up. Spots are limited for now (and are currently full), but more spots will become available in time.
- On Xbox and Windows everyone who owns a copy of Minecraft (Bedrock). It should appear in your Games & Apps library and should be ready to install.
- For Xbox users, do note that this has not officially been released. Xbox Insiders will first help test this out before being released to the public. Information on Xbox's Inside Hub can be found here.
- Later this year this will be added for Xbox Gamepass players.
- Those using the Minecraft Launcher will see Minecraft Preview later this year as well.
What about my old worlds?
Unfortunately importing your old worlds is not currently available at this time.
Why should I switch to Preview now?
There are many features available that may spark your interest.
- Use of the Marketplace.
- Realms / Featured Servers
- Cross-platform multiplayer
- Achievements
This covers the need-to-know information regarding the Minecraft Preview program. As always, if you encounter any bugs please report them to Mojang Studios so they can get them sorted!