First launched for PC, Minecraft is technically at its most pure on the PC. If you’re keen to use the best Minecraft mods, the best Minecraft texture packs, or the best Minecraft shaders, you’ll need ...

You'll need a Microsoft account to download Minecraft but that's no sweat to do. Choosing between the two versions, Java and ...

As of today, players who download Minecraft through Xbox Game Pass for PC will play through the unified Minecraft Launcher that handles both the Java and Bedrock Editions.

Somewhat confusingly, there was an old launcher called 'Minecraft Unified Launcher', which was specifically for Windows 7 and 8 and only launched Java Edition and Minecraft Dungeons.

To play Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition with Game Pass on PC, you'll just need to install the Java & Bedrock Edition from the Microsoft Store page or from the Xbox app for PC.

To play with friends, you'll need Minecraft Realms, which (like Java hosting) one person will have to pay for, and others can then join for free.