Minecraft Is Getting A Major Visual Upgrade, Flying Mounts, And My Favorite Quality Of Life Feature In Years
The additions to Mojang's 3D sandbox that first officially debuted back in 2011 were on display at March 2025's edition of Minecraft Live, a presentation that will now take place two times a year to match the faster cadence of smaller but more impactful feature drops arriving alongside them. The first of these is Vibrant Visuals, a visual overhaul coming the the Bedrock edition of Minecraft this year on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC.
The developers say the update adds 'thousands of individually crafted elements while preserving what makes Minecraft unique.' Alongside the tweaked appearance, volumetric lighting is the other key feature of Vibrant Visuals. Instead of the world looking flat, the new lighting will bring more depth and also improve reflections. Water shimmers and cast shadows look more stark. It all makes Minecraft look a lot more appealing, especially at sunset.
Happy Ghasts are another big deal. They'll be able to carry small groups of players through the world, making survival mode more accessible. Players will find dried ghasts in the netherworld, bring them back to the overworld, re-hydrate them, and then poof: a cute, cloud-like chariot awaits. My kids are going to love it, until they start fighting over them.
What they won't be fighting over is the new Player Locator bar that Mojang also briefly touched on during the event. Announced earlier this month, the new UI feature will make it easier for players to find one another across the map. No more looking around for striking landscape features and going, 'I'm kinda, sorta, maybe 100 yards Northeast of the oak tree by the beach.' Instead, players will appear as color-coded blips on a horizontal bar near the bottom of the screen. This one is gonna save me a ton of time.
As with all of the other features, there no specific release date for this, but all of them should be coming in the next few months. Maybe by then we'll also hear about any upgrades coming to a Switch 2 version of Minecraft. The Minecraft Movie is also out April 4, just two days after the Switch 2 Nintendo Direct.
.
For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
10 hours ago
- USA Today
'KPop Demon Hunters' is screening in movie theaters: Dates, how to get tickets
"KPop Demon Hunters" is coming to the big screen. Netflix is bringing its most-watched animated original film – as of July 29 – to movie theaters later this month. "KPop Demon Hunters" will screen at select theaters across the country, with many offering a sing-along experience, Aug. 23-24. Tickets for the screenings are now on sale. Released on June 20, "KPop Demon Hunter" follows three Korean pop stars, Rumi, Mira and Zoey, who are also demon hunters. Beloved on stage by fans, the trio is also tasked with taking down a boy band made up of demons. Directed by Maggie Kang and Chris Appelhans, the film runs 1 hour and 35 minutes. Here's what to know about the "KPop Demon Hunters" theater screenings. 'Minecraft' to 'KPop Demon Hunters: 10 movies you need to stream right now When is 'KPop Demon Hunters' playing in theaters? "KPop Demon Hunters" will be screened in select movie theaters on Saturday, Aug. 23 and Sunday, Aug. 24. Where is 'KPop Demon Hunters' playing? Netflix could not provide a complete list of all the theaters that will screen "KPop Demon Hunters," as the list is continually being updated. To find a theater near you that is showing the film, visit Tomorrow X Together: New music, upcoming US tour and closing 'The Star Chapter' How much are 'KPop Demon Hunters' movie theater tickets? Ticket prices for "KPop Demon Hunters" vary per location. Search for a movie theater near you at Watch the 'KPop Demon Hunters' trailer Need to catch up? Watch the trailer for "KPop Demon Hunters" below. Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@
Engadget
12 hours ago
- Engadget
PUBG: Battlegrounds will leave PS4 and Xbox One behind later this year
PUBG: Battlegrounds is finally ready to ditch last-gen consoles. On Wednesday, the developer said that the game will transition to PS5 and Xbox Series X/S on November 13. Although the battle royale has been playable on current-gen consoles all along, it was running as a PS4 or Xbox One game. That helped it cast a wide net (and probably make more money), but it also came with technical limitations. The company said the move to current-gen will "provide our players with a more stable gameplay environment on console and ensure a smoother, more seamless experience with future updates." PS5 players can expect the new version to play in 1440p at 60fps. Both the PS5 Pro and Xbox Series X will reach 2160p at 60fps. However, the two high-end systems will support Dynamic 4K resolution. Meanwhile, the Xbox Series S will run at 1080p at 60fps or 1440p at 30fps. (Your choice.) Here's how PUBG: Battlegrounds currently looks on PS5. Screenshot of PUBG on PS5 before an upcoming update. A scene with old cars and desolate houses. (PUBG / Krafton) And this is how it will look after November 13. It's a subtle difference at first glance, but you can see more detail, including pronounced shadows. Screenshot of PUBG on PS5 after an upcoming update. A scene with old cars and desolate houses. (PUBG / Krafton) When the cutoff arrives, the game will no longer be downloadable or playable on PS4 and Xbox One. PlayStation users will need to download a separate PS5 version of the game on November 13. If you already have it installed on your Xbox Series X/S, the current-gen update will install automatically via Microsoft's Smart Delivery. On both systems, your existing account data and purchased items will transition automatically. PUBG left its last-gen users a sentimental message that sounds a bit like a corporate layoff letter. "We still vividly remember the epic battles, the heart-stopping moments, and the camaraderie that brought us together," the company wrote. "We are deeply grateful for every moment you've spent with us over the past eight years."
Engadget
13 hours ago
- Engadget
Co-op puzzle game Lego Voyagers will arrive on September 15
We got our first look at Lego Voyagers back at Summer Game Fest in June. As it turned out, Light Brick Studio ( Lego Builder's Journey ) and publisher Annapurna Interactive weren't kidding about the "coming soon" aspect of the reveal trailer. That's because Lego Voyagers is set to hit PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and PC (Steam and Epic Games Store) on September 15 . Lego Voyagers is a physics-based, co-op puzzle game for two players. You and a buddy will each control Lego bricks as you attempt to rescue an abandoned spaceship. The blue and red pieces snap together with other blocks and can build structures to help navigate these worlds. You'll be able to play together locally on the same system or online. If you choose the latter route, only one of you needs to own the game for you both to play it, thanks to the Friend's Pass system. According to Annapurna, Lego Voyagers "asks open questions about building friendships, sharing dreams and giving space. It reminds us that while playing and being creative is for all shapes and sizes, it's always better when you share it with a friend." That sounds quite lovely to me.
