Tutorial:Required Java versions
Here's a list of which versions of Java you need to play these Minecraft Java Edition versions:
What is Java?
Java is a programming language and computing platform. Unlike many other languages, Java does not run directly on the hardware, but in a virtual machine, called the JVM (Java Virtual Machine).[1] Minecraft: Java Edition is written in Java, and uses it for game logic, rendering, and networking.
As of September 19, 2023, the long-term support (LTS) versions of Java are OpenJDK 8 (LTS, free support by Oracle ended, but still being maintained by other distributions), OpenJDK 11, OpenJDK 17 and OpenJDK 21. You should only use LTS versions of Java, as they provide important security updates.
If you use a custom JVM, you should notice that the official launcher only allow the custom JVM with the same primary Java version as the minimum required Java version to launch the game.[2]
Required Java versions
- Java 5 or later is required to run rd-132211 to 1.5.2.
- Java 6 or later is required to run 1.6.1 (13w16a) to 1.11.2 (1.12: 17w06a).
- Java 8 or later is required to run 1.12 (17w13a) to 1.16.5 (1.17: 21w18a).
- Java 16 or later is required to run 1.17 (21w19a) to 1.17.1 (1.18: Pre-release 1).
- Java 17 or later is required to run 1.18 (Pre-release 2) to 1.20.4 (1.20.5: 24w13a (24w14potato if April Fools' updates count)).
- Java 21 or later is required to run 1.20.5 (20w14a) and later.
