Microsoft has announced Minecraft Preview, a new standalone app that’s designed to replace the Bedrock Beta program for testing the game’s beta builds. Minecraft Preview will intially be rolling out on iOS, Xbox, and Windows 10 and 11, and will be included along with the base game for Xbox Game Pass subscribers.
The Microsoft blog about Minecraft Preview describes the new app as an evolution of the Bedrock Beta program, and it sounds like it’s set to make the beta experience a lot better for participating players. As a seperate app, players who want to check out Minecraft beta builds no longer have to choose between the beta and the released branch of the game, and can play both versions concurrently without having to switch back and forth. Microsoft has also said that Preview will allow players to test beta builds on even more platforms, such as iOS, which wasn’t previously available as part of the Bedrock Beta program.
While Minecraft Preview is available to eligible players now, Microsoft has said there will be some overlap with the Bedrock Beta, which will continue to be available on Xbox and Windows until it’s eventually phased out. Bedrock Beta will also continue to be available on Android, but it’s likely Microsoft is planning to roll out a Minecraft Preview app for Android users at some point down the line.
The instructions for installing Minecraft Preview on each platform can be found in the announcement post, but interested players will have to own the Bedrock version of the game already to opt into the beta version. Xbox Game Pass subscribers will also be able to access Minecraft Preview through their subscription, just like the base game.
At present, other than the PC version, places in Minecraft Preview are limited, with the early Xbox testing only open to Xbox Insiders, and places in the iOS testing program also limited. It’s likely that Microsoft will open up the app more as it continues the rollout and phases out Bedrock Beta fully.
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