Better Together Update

Better Together Update
BetterTogether.png: Infobox image for Better Together Update the theme in Minecraft
Release date

September 20, 2017

Version(s)

Bedrock Edition 1.2.0

There is a guide for this update!
 
See Bedrock Edition guides/Better Together Update for a guide to all of the new features introduced in Better Together Update.

The Better Together Update is the name of the update for Bedrock Edition 1.2.0, a major update released on September 20, 2017, that unified the cross-compatible Pocket Edition, Windows 10 Edition, Gear VR Edition, and Fire TV Edition under the simple name Minecraft. It also marked the debut of Bedrock Edition on Xbox One, replacing the previous Xbox One Edition.

Better Together

This update represented an important advance in the accessibility of Minecraft in that it extended crossplay (short for cross-platform gameplay, the ability of players on different platforms to play interactively in the same world) to virtually all of the newest-generation gaming platforms. Previously, the Pocket Edition had supported cross-play between mobile, Windows 10, and VR platforms. This update added support for the Xbox One and Nintendo Switch, drastically increasing the number of devices that could participate.

The updated game was also designed to work with the Nintendo Switch and Sony PlayStation 4, however both would platforms would not initially receive the update. The Nintendo Switch deployment was delayed due to problems with cross-device connectivity and upgrading of old worlds[1] and Mojang Studios was still in ongoing talks with Sony about a possible future agreement as the latter had previously declined to participate.

  • June 21, 2018, Bedrock Edition 1.4.1 was released on the Nintendo Switch.
  • On December 10, 2019, Bedrock Edition 1.14.0 was released on the PlayStation 4. Mojang Studios also stated that it would consider porting Bedrock Edition to macOS, Linux, or any other platform with sufficiently strong demand, further expanding the crossplay concept.[2]

With the unification of so many different platforms under one version of the game, the nickname Pocket Edition became increasingly outdated. From 1.2.0 onwards, Mojang referred to this version as the Bedrock Engine or Bedrock Edition when distinguishing it from either the game as a whole or other versions of Minecraft. The name "Bedrock" came from the internal name for its source code database. To emphasize the broad range of supported devices, Minecraft: Bedrock Edition became known simply as Minecraft. The original Java version of Minecraft, which had formerly held that designation, was officially renamed Minecraft: Java Edition to avoid confusion.[2]

Technical details

Even though the name changed, the update was a normal update for Pocket Edition, Windows 10 Edition, Gear VR Edition, and Fire TV Edition. On Xbox One, the update was released as a new game, requiring the user to install it separately. Bedrock Edition on Xbox One is free for players who own a digital copy of Xbox One Edition, have played the disc copy of Xbox One Edition for at least 5 hours in the past 12 months, or have bought at least one DLC for Xbox One Edition.

Beta testing for the update for Android and Windows 10 began on July 31, 2017 and for Xbox One on August 24, 2017.[3] The update was submitted to certification for 9 of the 10 platforms on September 15, 2017.

With the release of the Better Together Update, the original PC version of Minecraft was renamed to Minecraft: Java Edition in 1.12.2 to distinguish it from Bedrock Edition.

Notable features

Main article: Bedrock Edition 1.2.0
New blocks
New items
New mobs
  • Parrot
    • Spawns in jungles.
    • Flies around but sits when tired.
    • Can be tamed using seeds.
    • Can imitate sounds of nearby hostile mobs.
    • Will dance when music is being played in a jukebox.
    • Comes in five different colors: Red, Blue, Green, Cyan, and Gray.
    • Drops feathers when killed.
      • Using a cookie on the parrot will instantly kill them.
New non-mob entities
New generated structures
  • Ravines
    • Huge and tall cracks in the Overworld that exposes the underground from above.
New gameplay
  • New world preferences:
    • Bonus Chest
      • A chest generates with various materials and foods to get started, alongside four torches on its sides.
    • Starting Map
      • Players will spawn in with a map in their inventory that scaled 1:8.
    • Trust Players
      • Sets what other players that join the world can or cannot do.
  • Recipe book
    • Shows a list of recipes that can be done through a crafting table.
    • Can be activated by clicking on the green-colored book.
    • When a recipe is tapped on, the materials required is placed on the crafting table.
  • Splitscreen
    • Allows up to four players on one screen at the same time.
    • Only available on Xbox One.
  • Featured servers
    • Accessible via Servers section in Play menu.
    • Shows a selection of partnered servers.
  • How to Play
    • A built-in guide accessible through settings designed to help players in Minecraft.
Other additions
  • Custom characters.
  • Ability to change player skin while playing a world
  • Choice of outline instead of highlight for block selection
  • In-game shortcuts for certain commands.
  • The command /tickingarea
Notable changes

Further revisions

  • 1.2.1, 1.2.2 and 1.2.3 fixed numerous bugs.
  • 1.2.5 added the ability to broadcast to Mixer and other streaming services.
  • 1.2.6 saw Realms being integrated with Xbox Live Clubs, and updated textures for horses, mules, and donkeys.
  • 1.2.6.1 was released exclusively on Android to fix numerous bugs.
  • 1.2.7 fixed even more bugs.
  • 1.2.8 fixed a lone bug with the user interface on partnered servers.
  • 1.2.9, 1.2.10 and 1.2.11 fixed even more bugs.
  • 1.2.13 added menu screen transitions, more control options; added many Update Aquatic features as Experimental Gameplay, and fixed even more bugs.
  • 1.2.14 was released exclusively on iOS to disable test commands.
  • 1.2.15 was released exclusively on iOS to fix even more bugs.
  • 1.2.16 (released as 1.2.13.60 on devices other than iOS) fixed even more bugs.

Trailer

References

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