Realms (2 friends online)
Owner plus 2 other players online at the same time. Enough for a household or a small friend group. Marketplace Pass is not included — Marketplace content is bought per pack.
Compatibility before purchase
Every Bedrock feature framed as a purchase decision
Cross-play, Realms tiers, Marketplace, split-screen, controller support, ray tracing, and Add-Ons — each one described in the terms that matter before you spend: which device it needs, which account it costs money on, and which mismatch will make you regret the checkout. Reviewed 28 August 2026.
Cross-play: what it will and will not let you do
Cross-play is the reason to buy Bedrock at all for most groups, and the number-one source of buyer regret when the conditions are missed. Everyone in the group must run Bedrock (not Java), everyone signs in with a Microsoft account inside the game, everyone is on the same game version, and cross-play must be permitted in the invited account's privacy settings.
Buy Bedrock if
- Any group member is on a console or a phone.
- Anyone on the group plans to play on more than one type of device.
- The child in the household wants to join a school-friend's world across platforms.
Skip Bedrock and buy Java if
- The whole group is on Mac or Linux — Bedrock is not sold there.
- The group is joining an existing Java community server, mod pack, or vanilla anarchy world.
- The plan requires launching an older stable version — Bedrock cannot do that.
Buy both (Windows PC only)
- Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition for PC delivers both clients on Windows in one purchase.
- Useful when the buyer has one group on Java and one on consoles.
- Owning both does not merge multiplayer — launch whichever edition your friends chose.
Reference: Mojang, Java or Bedrock Edition covers edition rules, cross-play requirements, and the Windows bundle.
Realms: pick the right tier before the trial starts
Realms is Mojang's hosted private world for Bedrock. There are two tiers and one classic buyer trap.
Realms Plus (10 friends online)
Owner plus up to 10 other players online at the same time, and the Marketplace Pass catalog is included. Invited friends do not need a subscription to join.
Java Realms is a separate product
Java Realms and Bedrock Realms are distinct services. A Java Realms subscription does not carry over to Bedrock, and cannot host Bedrock devices. Confirm you are buying the tier for the edition you play.
Common purchase mistake. Subscribing to both Marketplace Pass and Realms Plus at the same time. Mojang states Realms Plus already includes Pass — subscribing to both wastes the Pass fee. Cancel Pass first if moving up to Plus.
Reference: Mojang, Realms and Mojang, Marketplace Pass for the current tiers and inclusion rules. Regional prices are shown on the Realms screen inside the game.
Marketplace and Marketplace Pass: what your money actually buys
Bedrock's Marketplace is a curated in-game store for creator worlds, skin packs, texture packs, and Add-Ons. Two things to know before you spend:
Minecoins vs PlayStation Tokens
Every Bedrock platform except PlayStation uses Minecoins. Sony's Minecraft parents guide states PlayStation uses Minecraft Tokens on PS4 and PS5, and Minecoins bought elsewhere cannot be redeemed there. Buy the currency the target device accepts.
Purchased pack vs Pass catalog
A pack you buy with Minecoins stays on your library across supported Bedrock devices signed into the same Microsoft account. A Pass catalog item is subscription access — if the item rotates out of the Pass, you either lose in-game use or need to buy it separately.
Marketplace Pass availability
Official Pass footnotes state Marketplace Pass is not available on Amazon Kindle Fire and not on Java Edition. Content subscribed elsewhere may still appear when signed in on those devices, but you cannot buy Pass from them.
References: Mojang, Marketplace FAQ and PlayStation, parents guide to Minecraft.
Split-screen: consoles only, and what each console imposes
Local split-screen on the same TV is a Bedrock-only feature — Java has no equivalent — and Mojang states it is available only on the console versions of Bedrock, not on Windows or mobile. If the goal is a shared TV for two children with one purchase, this is the reason to prefer a console.
What one console copy covers
Several profiles on the same console can join split-screen from that one purchase, on Xbox, PlayStation, or Nintendo Switch, up to the game's player cap.
What each profile still needs
Playing offline in split-screen does not need an online subscription. Once the world uses online multiplayer, each participating profile needs access to the console's online entitlement. That access may come from Home Xbox, console sharing, or a family plan rather than a separate subscription for every profile; verify the current Xbox, PlayStation, or Nintendo sharing rules.
What split-screen cannot do
Split-screen does not work on Windows Bedrock or on mobile. Featured Servers do not accept split-screen sessions.
Reference: Mojang, Java or Bedrock Edition.
Input support decides who enjoys the game
A controller-first child on a PC without a controller is a bad match. Check the target device before deciding the platform.
Controller-native
Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch. Windows accepts common Xbox and DualSense controllers over USB or Bluetooth for the same feel as a console. Great for younger players and couch play.
Keyboard & mouse
Windows PC natively supports keyboard and mouse for precise redstone and combat work. Consoles do not accept keyboard and mouse for Minecraft in their default configuration.
Touch
Phones, tablets, Amazon Fire, and Chromebook use touch by default. Bluetooth controllers work on many of these devices, but always check the specific model.
Ray tracing on Windows: two conditions before you upgrade a GPU
Bedrock's ray-traced graphics only apply on Windows Bedrock on GPUs with hardware DXR support, and only when a ray-tracing-enabled resource pack is active in the world. If you are buying a GPU specifically for this, verify both conditions on the current listing rather than assuming.
- Hardware. A DXR-capable GPU is required. Support has expanded over time — check the current Minecraft ray-tracing page for the vendor list rather than trusting older forum threads.
- Content. A vanilla world without a ray-tracing resource pack will render the same lighting as before. RTX-labelled packs enable the effect on eligible content.
- Not on console or mobile. Xbox, PlayStation, Switch, iOS, Android, Fire, and Chromebook do not offer hardware ray tracing. If ray tracing is the goal, the device decision points at Windows.
Reference: Mojang, ray tracing in Minecraft and the live Microsoft Store PC listing for supported hardware.
Add-Ons and Java mods do not migrate
If the player specifically wants deep code-level mods, mod loaders, or long-running community modpacks, Bedrock is the wrong edition. Add-Ons are a smaller model: behavior and resource packs Mojang exposes through a documented framework and the in-game Marketplace.
Add-Ons can
- Change mob rules, crafting recipes, biomes, and item stats using JSON packs.
- Install with one tap from the Marketplace inside the game.
- Ship inside Marketplace worlds as bundled content.
Add-Ons cannot
- Run Java-style .jar mods or use Java mod loaders.
- Reach the depth of full Java modpacks — the surface area is smaller by design.
- Share a save with a Java modpack — worlds do not cross the edition boundary.
Reference: Microsoft Learn, Minecraft Creator documentation covers the Bedrock Add-On framework in depth.
Feature fit by platform
Use this to answer a single question quickly: does the device you already own get the feature the player cares most about?
| Feature | Windows PC | Xbox / PS / Switch | iOS / Android / Fire / Chromebook |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross-play with other Bedrock devices | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Own Java & Bedrock in one purchase | Yes (PC bundle only) | No | No |
| Marketplace + Marketplace Pass (Minecoins) | Yes | Yes on Xbox/Switch; PlayStation uses Tokens | Yes, except Pass on Amazon Fire |
| Realms Plus (owner + 10 friends) | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Split-screen on one screen | No | Yes (consoles only) | No |
| Keyboard & mouse | Yes | No (in default configuration) | Only on some Chromebooks |
| Controller | Yes | Yes | Bluetooth only, model dependent |
| Hardware ray tracing | Yes on DXR-capable GPUs | No | No |
| Paid online service required for online play | No — internet only | Yes — per account, per console | No — internet only |
Every row above is a purchase-time question. If the row that matters most says No for the device you own, that is the row to solve before checkout — either by choosing a different device or by accepting the limit.
Six purchase mistakes to avoid
- Buying Java for a Mac when the rest of the group is on consoles. They will not be able to play together. Fix before checkout: confirm every group member's device, and choose the edition all of them can run.
- Assuming a console purchase covers Windows too. The console and Windows SKUs are separate stores. Only the Java & Bedrock for PC bundle gives both editions, and only on Windows.
- Subscribing to Marketplace Pass and Realms Plus at the same time. Plus already includes Pass. Pick one; cancel Pass before starting Plus.
- Buying Minecoins on PlayStation. PlayStation uses Minecraft Tokens. Coins bought on other platforms do not transfer.
- Forgetting the console online entitlement. Each online profile needs access under the platform's rules, but Home Xbox, console sharing, or a family plan may cover multiple profiles.
- Buying a GPU for ray tracing without verifying both hardware and content. Confirm the current listing supports the exact card, and confirm the resource pack you want is still available in the Marketplace.
Official sources cited on this page
- Mojang, Java or Bedrock Edition — cross-play, split-screen, Windows bundle, version model.
- Mojang, Realms — current Bedrock Realms tiers.
- Mojang, Marketplace Pass — Pass inclusion in Realms Plus and Kindle Fire footnote.
- Mojang, Marketplace FAQ — Minecoins, purchase rules.
- PlayStation, parents guide to Minecraft — Minecraft Tokens on PlayStation.
- Mojang, ray tracing in Minecraft.
- Microsoft Learn, Minecraft Creator documentation — Add-On framework.
- Microsoft Store: Minecraft for Windows — current PC requirements.
Reviewed 28 August 2026. Subscription tiers, hardware lists, and store availability change without notice — the linked official page is the current version of the truth.
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