The popular game Minecraft, in its Bedrock Edition version, has officially withdrawn support for virtual reality on PC and PlayStation. This change, already announced last year, has been finalized this week with an update that marks a before and after in the title’s relationship with immersive technologies.
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To understand the impact of this decision, it’s important to differentiate between the two major versions of Minecraft. The Java Edition is the original version, available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. On the other hand, the Bedrock Edition, written in C++, is the one that runs on most modern platforms, such as Windows, Android, iOS, consoles, and streaming devices.
Until now, Bedrock was the only one with official support for virtual reality, which allowed you to play on headsets such as Oculus Rift, Windows Mixed Reality, and PlayStation VR. With this update, that support is completely removed, leaving players without a direct avenue to enjoy the game in VR, at least officially.
Current Options for Playing Minecraft VR (Unofficial)
Although official support has disappeared, the community continues to offer alternatives for VR enthusiasts. On PC, the main tool is Vivecraft, a mod for the Java Edition that allows you to play Minecraft on VR devices such as Valve Index or Meta Rift.
Of course, Vivecraft has some limitations. For example, it is not compatible with the Bedrock Edition servers, making it difficult to play with friends who are on consoles or mobile devices. It’s like having a classic car: beautiful and functional, but with difficulties to drive on modern roads.
In the Meta Quest ecosystem, there’s also an alternative: QuestCraft, an unofficial version adapted for standalone VR of Quest 3. Although it offers an amazing experience and up to 120 FPS, its performance is not ideal and is not compatible with the most recent versions of the game.
PlayStation runs out of options
The situation is even more restrictive on PlayStation. With the removal of official support on PSVR, it is no longer possible to play Minecraft in VR on any Sony console unless you have an older version installed and prevent updates.
There are Minecraft-inspired alternatives such as cyubeVR, available for PSVR2, but this is not the original game, nor does it allow cross-play. This is especially relevant for those looking for social or shared server experiences.
A complicated relationship between Minecraft and VR
Minecraft’s history with virtual reality is long and full of twists and turns. It all started in 2014 with Minecraft, a mod that brought the game to the first Oculus Rift (DK1) development kit. Later in 2016, the game officially arrived on Gear VR and shortly after on Oculus Rift. Even the defunct Windows MR had support.
In 2020, Minecraft added compatibility with PlayStation VR, including an interesting “living room” mode that allowed you to play on a virtual screen inside a Minecraft house, ideal for those who did not tolerate complete immersion well.
The role of John Carmack and the missed opportunities
A key player in the story has been John Carmack, the legendary video game developer and pioneer in VR. Carmack worked directly on Minecraft support for Oculus and on several occasions stated that he had a working version for Oculus Go and Quest, even with positional tracking.
However, according to his own account, Meta (formerly Facebook) chose to focus its agreements with Microsoft on other Xbox titles that never materialized. A missed opportunity? Many in the community believe so.
Meta’s CTO, Andrew Bosworth, has also confirmed that they tried several times to bring Minecraft to Quest, but without success. And that’s despite the fact that Microsoft and Meta have an active XR alliance that has brought Xbox Cloud Gaming to Quest devices, as well as Windows 11’s Remote Desktop mode.
What this means for the future of Minecraft in VR
While the withdrawal of official support may seem like the end of a stage, it also leaves the door open to the creativity of the community. Mods like Vivecraft and QuestCraft prove that the interest in playing Minecraft in immersive environments is still alive.
Of course, it is clear that there are no short-term plans for an official return of Minecraft to virtual reality, neither on PC nor on standalone devices such as Quest. Today’s options require technical know-how and sacrifices in compatibility and stability.
For younger or less experienced players, this withdrawal can represent an insurmountable barrier. As if the game was rebuilt with blocks, but this time without instructions or pieces compatible with the previous ones.
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