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The beta version allows you to test the features of the game known as Minecraft

The beta version allows you to test the features of the game known as Minecraft

Vote: (3,955 votes)

Program license: Paid

Developer: Mojang

Version: 1.13.2

Works under: Windows

Also available for Mac

Vote:

Program license

(3,955 votes)

Paid

Developer

Version

Mojang

1.13.2

Works under:

Also available for

Windows

Mac

Pros

  • Easier Installation
  • Additional Features

Cons

  • Manual Update

The Minecraft Beta isn't the beta version of the original game, but instead it's the beta version of the iteration that's about to be released. If you already own Minecraft for Mac or PC, you can download and enjoy the game for free. When you play the beta version of any game, including Minecraft, the object is to test the features of the game while finding and repairing any bugs that might affect how players experience the game. The developers will take what information they gleaned from the beta release to finalize the full release of the new Minecraft edition.

Minecraft, like many other games, is technically always in development. The creators see no end in sight, so they are working hard to provide players with updates and new features that those players really want from the game. The developer of Minecraft is a mobile gaming company called Mojang, and they are exceptionally transparent when it comes to the future of their franchise. Anyone who already owns Minecraft can access the beta version, and if you don't own Minecraft, you'll gain access to the beta the moment you buy a license from the developer's website.

This beta version of Minecraft is version 1.8.x, and it has been dubbed the Bountiful Update by the developers. Unfortunately, it is only a long list of small changes and optimizations to the core game. There's an obvious lack of any standout feature like what was included in the past beta releases. Version 1.6 saw the addition of horses, which proved to be a highly valuable addition to the game, and version 1.7 was called 'The Update that Changed the World' since it altered the methods used by the game to create the worlds.

Those of you who already own the game really should try the new beta version. You won't lose anything but your time, but if you are a hardcore fan of the franchise, you're probably already used to spending lots of time in the Minecraft system. It won't affect your ability to play the current official version, and you won't have to worry about your saved games disappearing.

Installing this beta version of Minecraft is a bit more complicated than standard installations, but you can still handle it with the proper instructions. After you've downloaded the file for the beta release, open the Minecraft launcher. You'll see a button that reads 'New Profile' near the bottom of the launcher, so click on that button and name the new profile 'snapshots'. Finally, check the box next to 'Enable experimental development snapshots'.

If you have any interest in Minecraft at all, especially if you actually own the game, you'll certainly enjoy this pre-release beta. Since the developer releases these betas with every new version, it's a bit like a standard preview feature of the full game. You never have to pay for the beta, and you can monitor the development of the game and the direction it's heading.

Pros

  • Easier Installation
  • Additional Features

Cons

  • Manual Update