Does Minecraft Dungeons support cross-play?
Does Minecraft Dungeons support cross-play?
The growth of cross-platform multiplayer has seen support adopted across dozens of titles, helping users on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, PC, and many more systems partner up. Top titles like Fortnite, Call of Duty, and Minecraft feature cross-play integration, breaking down long-established barriers between console ecosystems. And with multiplayer heavily engrained with Minecraft Dungeons, the advantages of cross-platform multiplayer are clear.
Minecraft Dungeons doesn't support cross-play as of launch. Instead, it's scheduled to arrive at a later date. Developer, Mojang Studios, has pledged to deliver cross-play "in the near future," via a free game update available on all platforms. The hit vanilla form of Minecraft supports cross-play between available platforms, and the same capabilities will soon make their way to Minecraft Dungeons. That's all platforms — Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and PC — one happy family.
You can, however, access cross-play between Xbox and PC using this naughty glitch.
How to play Minecraft Dungeons Xbox and PC cross-play early
How to use Minecraft Dungeons cross-play
Microsoft hasn't expanded on how Minecraft Dungeons cross-play will function beyond a pledge to bring its four supported platforms together through a future update. However, with the vanilla version of Minecraft already a proven example of cross-play done right, we're expecting a similar implementation with Minecraft Dungeons.
Like the original Minecraft, expect Minecraft Dungeons to leverage Xbox Live to link platforms together for cross-play. It likely mandates an Xbox profile, served through a Microsoft account, without the requirement to purchase an Xbox Live Gold membership. That can be the same account used with Minecraft's existing "Bedrock" clients or an entirely new identity. Expect additional updates surrounding cross-play with Minecraft Dungeons over the weeks or months ahead.
Does Minecraft Dungeons support cross-save?
While Microsoft has discussed the prospect of cross-platform multiplayer, the potential for cross-platform saving appears a little hazier. Minecraft Dungeons' progress is locked to your platform of choice at launch, and while committed to delivering cross-play, there's no pledge for cross-save support. The official Minecraft Dungeons FAQ simply states that "save files and game progress do not transfer across platforms," with no suggestion of future plans.
More to come from Minecraft Dungeons and cross-play
While cross-play isn't available for Minecraft Dungeons at launch, here's hoping Microsoft issues an update on its availability soon. In the meantime, the game supports multiplayer between players on the same platform, as well as the same console via local split-screen multiplayer.
But when cross-play finally comes around, you'll have the opportunity to show off your loot and assemble powerful raiding teams.
Minecraft grows up and reaches out.
Minecraft Dungeons is the next saga in Minecraft's story, and it looks like Mojang and Microsoft are hitting another one out of the park. Minecraft Dungeons combines the familiar world we all grew up on with an injection of Diablo, a whole lot of fun. Available on every platform you're on, for a ridiculously attractive price, what's not to love?
