Microsoft and Mojang are leading Minecraft to Chromebooks, especially the Bedrock Edition. Unfortunately, you’ll need a Pretty modern Chromebook to play it, and what That meaning it’s about to baffle a number of frustrated parents.
In a blog posts, Mojang said it doesn’t have a release date for the full version of Minecraft Bedrock Edition on ChromeOS, although the company plans to release updates as close to the timing of other platforms as possible. This means that the Chromebook version will include the Trails and Tails update, with its ability to ride camels and other features. Technically, what is being released is an “Early Access” edition.
“Early Access”, however, means bugs. Mojang isn’t promising that the version of the game released for Chromebooks won’t have its own unique flaws, though it is trying to work with early adopters to nail them before the game actually releases.
As Skyrim, Minecraft has long been a staple across various gaming platforms, including PC, consoles, and even a mobile version. However, the game’s absence on Chromebooks has been a notable shortcoming in its availability. Users will simply be able to visit the Google Play Store and look for the game. (The Chrome OS version will be sold separately, Mojang says.) Once downloaded, players can sign in with their Microsoft account or create a new one.
The catch, if there is one, is that you’ll need a fairly modern Chromebook. Today, “modern” means anything from an Intel Celeron 4500 and up, as defined by Mojang. It’s a shame, given that last year’s Black Friday Chromebook deals it covered the Celeron N4020 and N4120 Chromebooks at the low end — about $150 or so. Midrange Chromebooks included Pentium Silver N6000 or even Core i3.
The minimum specs to play Minecraft on a Chromebook
Operating system: Chrome OS 111
System architecture: 64-bit (x86_64, arm64-v8a)
Processor: Intel Celeron N4500, Intel i3-7130U, Mediatek MT8183, Qualcomm SC7180 or better
Memory: 4GB RAM
Warehousing: Minimum 1GB game install, maps and other files
A big problem? It’s not really obvious what is “better” than the Celeron N4500 which matches the minimum spec. intel Notes that the N4500 launched in early 2021, so chances are that if you have a Chromebook purchased within the last year or so your Minecraft the game is covered. But Intel’s decision to drip the Intel Celeron name in 2022 and replacing it with a generic “Intel Processor” brand, could be confusing.
In fact, Intel’s scattershot approach to the Chromebook naming scheme is going to be put in a pretty harsh spotlight. Today, Chromebooks are built around the Celeron brand (N3000, N4000, and so on), Celeron 6000 brand, Pentium Silver brand, Intel Processor brand, as well as Core m3 and Core i3 processors. What’s better? What qualifies as a Minecraftcapable processor? Why aren’t AMD A-series processors included?
After all, parents may need to figure out if their MediaTek or Qualcomm processor is also eligible or, if not, which Chromebook they should buy instead. Add to this qualification of Mojang that the requirements of the game can change over time, and both children and their parents could be frustrated with how this all plays out during these early days for Minecraft on Chromebooks.
Leave a Comment