Microsoft announced that the popular sandbox-game "Minecraft" is now ready to go cross-platform through an upcoming update.
According to the tech giant, the new feature will allow gamers on different platforms play at the same time.
As detailed in Microsoft's Xbox Wire, the upcoming update 0.12.1 can accommodate up to five friends in a multiplayer network for the PC game "Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition Beta" and its mobile counterpart "Minecraft: Pocket Edition."
The Windows 10 version of the game will also allow up to five players play together through Xbox Live.
In addition, to provide an equal game play experience, the update will also come with new features for the "Minecraft: Pocket Edition." These included an improved touch-based control system, support for controllers, and mapping screen.
Mobile gamers will also have access to various new actions such as sprinting and sneaking. The mobile game will also get new content in the form of potions, ocelots, golems and structures.
Also, like the "Windows 10 Edition Beta" of "Minecraft," the "Pocket Edition" will also get new weather effects such as directional rain and snow accumulation.
The upcoming update is Microsoft's latest step in building a truly cross-platform experience for "Minecraft." The company's first step was launching the beta version of the "Windows 10 Edition" of the game in July, IGN reported.
According to the company, the release of "Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition" does not automatically mean that it will replace the existing PC version of the game. Instead, it will exist as an entirely new game that's been exclusively designed for the Windows 10 platform.
Since the latest version of Microsoft's operating system is meant for PCs, smartphones, tablets and gaming consoles, the company aims to bring "Minecraft" players on these platforms together.
Of course, in order to achieve a truly cross-platform experience, non-Microsoft consoles should also be included in the company's plans. After all, "Minecraft" was also released on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4.
Currently, there are no details yet if Microsoft plans to expand the game's cross-platform feature to Sony's consoles. It may be a bit hard to do so since the feature depends on the Windows 10 operating system.
However, as proven by Microsoft in the past, it still provides new updates for the PlayStation versions of "Minecraft." This shows that despite being owned by its rival Sony, Microsoft still makes sure that the PlayStation editions of the game receive the same treatment, according to Attack of the Fanboy.
