Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. Learn more.
Minecraft now available natively on Chromebooks
- Minecraft on Chromebooks is here in a native form.
- You can get the Chrome OS version of the game through the Google Play Store.
- If you already own the Android version of the game, you can get a discount on the Chrome OS version.
Until today, playing Minecraft on a machine running Chrome OS was a pain. You could natively run the Education Edition of the game, but if you wanted the real deal, you’d need to use third-party software to force the game to run in a non-native state.
Today, you no longer need to jump through those hoops. Minecraft for Chromebooks is now officially available through the Google Play Store. This is the Bedrock Edition of the game. That means it supports Minecraft Marketplace and the ability to play on Realms. It also includes cross-play, so you can join your friends’ games even if they are on Android, Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, or PC.
Minecraft for Chromebooks also includes the brand new Trails & Tales update. This update brings new items, new blocks, and new mobs.
If you already own Minecraft for Android, you can get a discount on the new Chrome OS version. Just make sure you use the same Google account to access both. Conversely, if you don’t already own the Android version, you’ll get it for free with the purchase of the Chrome OS version. Unfortunately, you don’t get the Chrome OS version for free if you buy the Android version.
There is a full list of suggested specs for Chromebooks available if you’re wondering if it will work on your machine. However, Google says it should work just fine on pretty much every Chromebook launched within the past three years. Obviously, higher-end machines will give you better performance than budget models.