Minecraft is universally recognized, but its accessibility on the PS5 leaves much to be desired. Minecraft hit the ground running as an indie game developed by Markus Persson, a.k.a. Notch. Minecraft’s inception traces back to 2009 when Notch started its development and released an early version to the public later that year. The initial alpha version of Minecraft was made available to play for free, paving the way for its success through organic growth instead of relying on traditional advertising, especially in its early stages. The game raced forward as Notch kept tweaking and expanding it, consistently incorporating player feedback and his own inventive ideas.
As more and more people got into Minecraft, Notch founded Mojang Studios in 2010, along with Carl Manneh and Jakob Porsér, to further develop and support the game. Mojang was appointed as the official developer and publisher of Minecraft to manage its continuous development and eventual rollout on diverse platforms like PCs, consoles, and mobile devices. Microsoft purchased Mojang Studios along with the Minecraft franchise for $2.5 billion in 2014. Even so, Minecraft has retained much of its indie spirit and community-driven ethos. It continues to receive updates and expansions while maintaining its status as one of the most iconic and influential games of all time.
Minecraft on PS5 Could Have Been a Reality If It Weren’t for the Disagreement
Minecraft was always intended for release on PS5, as evidenced by its arrival on PS4 back in 2014. But things didn’t go as smoothly as expected. It was revealed that Microsoft sought access to PS5 dev kits before the 2020 console launch, but Sony was “reluctant” to grant it. During the Microsoft FTC trial in 2023, Phil Spencer stated that it seemed like Sony didn’t want to send them PS5 dev kits at the same time as other developers, which somewhat put them behind.
Dev kits are niche hardware and software packages provided by console manufacturers like Sony (for PlayStation) or Microsoft (for Xbox) to game developers. These kits are expected to enable Majong to create and trial Minecraft with a focus on compatibility with PS5. Dev kits come with hardware that matches the final console, software tools, and libraries for coding and optimizing, plus debugging tools to squash bugs as developers build.
No dev kits means developers cannot attain smooth game performance or utilize platform-specific features. Spencer also pointed out Sony could’ve easily sent the kits to Microsoft, much like they did with any other publisher. These remarks immediately cast doubt on whether Minecraft will ever find its place on the PS5. The FTC even argued that Microsoft had a three-year window to create a version of Minecraft specifically optimized for the PS5. But they appear to have made the decision not to do so, preferring to focus on enhancing the PS4 version.
Microsoft and Sony Seem to Have Made Amends, So a Native Version of Minecraft for PS5 Isn’t Too Far Away
PS5 Version ✅ pic.twitter.com/27rvsvSF37
— PlayStation Game Size (@PlaystationSize) March 29, 2024
The plea for a PlayStation Minecraft update with a PS5 launcher has been ongoing for ages, so players can bid farewell to the sluggish PS4 launcher that’s been hanging around since 2014. That’s not entirely off the table, since the rift between Microsoft and Sony seems to have been bridged to bring the native PS5 version of Minecraft to life. The rumor mill started churning after a Redditor named the_andshrew posted on a gaming leaks subreddit, revealing multiple Title IDs for the PS5 edition of Minecraft that have surfaced on the backend of the PlayStation Store.
Among those title IDs are PPSA19638_00, PPSA19639_00, and PPSA19640_00. PPSA could stand for something like a PlayStation Store Application. The following number in the Title ID likely represents a unique identifier for the specific game or version. It’s assigned by the platform holder (Sony, in this case) and is used to differentiate this game from others in their system. The last zeros could represent the base version of Minecraft for the PS5.
If that still isn’t enough to convince you, a reputable source subtly hinted that Minecraft is making its way to the PS5. Much like any other console, PlayStation isn’t without its fan-run accounts. The title IDs posted on Reddit were later backed up by PlayStation Game Size on X. The user dropped an image of Minecraft tagged as “PS5 Version” with a green check emoji, hinting that its release could be more than just rumors.
PlayStation Game Size has maintained its reputation as a “reliable source” for years, offering glimpses into the inner workings of PSN. Exactly as it’s named, the account’s content includes updates on the sizes of new PlayStation games, along with general news and updates about the console. Other than that, we haven’t heard anything new, so we’re not sure when it will be released. But at least a PS5 native edition of Minecraft isn’t completely off the agenda.
How Minecraft Native Release on PS5 Will Stack Up Against Its Version on PS4
Although Minecraft can run on PS5 via its PS4 edition, it doesn’t measure up to the performance, features, and optimization standards that a potential version designed specifically for PS5 would set. The PS5 is unquestionably way ahead of the PS4 in every way. Regardless of your stance, it’s beyond argument that visual graphics are the bedrock of gaming. Improved hardware on the PS5 means users can expect higher-resolution textures, more detailed models, and improved lighting effects.
Most issues in the PS4 version also relate to its performance and technical aspects. Performance wouldn’t suffer much with the PS5’s custom AMD Zen 2 CPU and RDNA 2 GPU in place. This means that running Minecraft on the PS5 will result in smoother frame rates, reduced stuttering, and overall better performance compared to the PS4, even when transitioning between legacy and Bedrock editions.
Along those lines, it’s likely that the PS5 will also iron out issues such as bugs, optimizations, crashes, lag, and even chunk loading. Draw distance issues would also be over, so players could see farther into the game world without experiencing the pop-in or rendering issues that were prevalent on the PS4. The sought-after enhancement for the upcoming versions of Minecraft on PS5 would be none other than ray-tracing.
Although ray-tracing has historically been a feature of PC gaming, the PS5 is engineered to back it up. There are more improvements needed to ensure that the native version of the PS5 outperforms the PS4, or at the very least, meets expectations. It’s an open secret that Microsoft is tight-lipped about upcoming game releases. Find out here if we’ll ever get Gears 6.
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