In Minecraft Java Edition, players can either jump into a world on their own and explore it, or they can join their friends in a multiplayer world and play together.

Unlike previous versions, Minecraft server software now relies on the latest version of Java (Java 16) in order to function correctly.

"Minecraft" offers cross-platform play for both versions of the game — Bedrock and Java — but you can only play with users who own the same version.

Rather than enrolling in a dedicated beta program, Minecraft: Java Edition allows you to select a slice of pre-release software for you to try.