Java Edition 1.16 Pre-release 1

1.16 Pre-release 1 (known as 1.16-pre1 in the launcher) is the first pre-release for Java Edition 1.16, released on June 4, 2020, that makes changes to floating-point precision, fixes several hand animations, among other things.

Gameplay

 * Recipe Book
 * Added recipe book unlocks for smithing tables, though they are non-functional.

Command format

 * Makes angered neutral mobs stop being angry when the targeted player dies nearby.
 * Enabled by default
 * Makes angered neutral mobs attack any nearby player, not just the player that angered them. Works best if  is disabled.
 * Disabled by default
 * Makes angered neutral mobs attack any nearby player, not just the player that angered them. Works best if  is disabled.
 * Disabled by default

General

 * Data packs
 * Dimensions and dimension types can now be added and changed by data packs.
 * Smithing recipes can now be added and changed by data packs.
 * A new 'Data Packs' button on the Create World screen.
 * Allows the player to select datapacks to be enabled in the world.
 * Supports drag-and-drop.


 * Graphics
 * Added new “Fabulous!” graphics option
 * Uses per-pixel blending layers for some transparent elements.
 * Many of the fixes to transparent and translucent elements from 20w22a had their performance improved and are now locked behind this graphics setting.

Blocks

 * Nether gold ore
 * Now uses the "nether" color on maps.

Items

 * Water buckets
 * Can now be obtained in creative mode when an empty bucket is used on water.
 * If a bucket of water is in the player’s inventory already, no additional water buckets are added when an empty bucket is used on water.

Mobs

 * Cows
 * Can now be milked in creative mode.


 * Mooshrooms
 * Can now be milked in creative mode.
 * Mushroom stew and suspicious stew can now be obtained in creative mode.


 * Snow golems
 * Are now damaged by splash and lingering water bottles.


 * Striders
 * Are now damaged by splash and lingering water bottles.


 * Villagers
 * When any villager is struck by lightning, the witch it is converted to will no longer despawn, regardless of whether the villager had been traded with or not.


 * Zombified piglins
 * No longer attack players who have not attacked a zombified piglin.
 * Now stop being angry if the targeted player dies nearby.

Gameplay

 * Advancements
 * The advancement file "Serious Dedication" has been renamed to . This means progress in this advancement is not kept when upgrading to this version.
 * The advancement "Two By Two" now requires donkeys and mules.
 * This advancement now checks the child resulting from breeding.
 * The advancement "Hot Tourist Destinations" now rewards 500 experience.
 * The advancement "Cover Me in Debris" now rewards 100 experience.
 * Changed the capitalization of "Who Is Cutting Onions?" to "Who is Cutting Onions?".


 * Gamemode switcher
 * Changed the text indicating to press to select the next gamemode from "F4 Next" to "[ F4 ] Next".


 * Subtitles
 * Changed the subtitle for stripping logs and wood from "Debarking log" to "Axe scrapes".

Command Format

 * The biome ID in the error messages for an invalid biome or a valid biome that could not be found is now in quotes.
 * Changed the error message for an invalid biome from "There is no biome named " to "There is no biome with type ''".
 * Changed the error message for an invalid biome from "There is no biome named " to "There is no biome with type ''".

General

 * Animations
 * Hand animations have been added for the following:
 * Entering a boat
 * Speeding up a baby strider's aging
 * Shearing sheep (a regression from 1.15.2)
 * Feeding a brown mooshroom
 * Using a spawn egg on a mob to spawn a baby variant, if there wouldn't also be a block within reach through said mob
 * Hand animations for the following have been removed:
 * Targeting a block through a mob then using a spawn egg
 * Attempting to switch a minecart with furnace's direction when it isn't on a rail
 * Using a dye on a sheep which already has that colour
 * Floating-point precision
 * Certain game mechanics, mainly a handful of different particles, have been modified to use 64-bit (double-precision) precision where they previously used 32-bit (single-precision).
 * As a result, the effects appear in the correct places even if the player is far away from the spawn point (with effects being the most extreme when over 16,777,216 blocks away). See Distance effects in Java Edition for a further explanation and history of such effects.
 * The following precision loss errors are fixed:
 * Lava embers and popping sounds should now originate from the correct positions.
 * Campfire embers should now be generated at the correct position.
 * Particles from rain hitting the top of blocks should now appear at the correct position.
 * Smoke emitted by lava during rain should appear at the correct position.
 * Smoke emitted by campfires during rain should appear at the correct position.
 * Particles from redstone dust should now appear at the correct position.
 * Particles from redstone repeaters should now appear at the correct position.
 * Particles from Nether biomes should now appear at the correct position.
 * Particles from adding eye of enders to end portal frames should now appear at the correct position.
 * Particles dripping from leaves during rain will no longer snap to block corners, and are correctly randomised across the underside of the block.
 * The book of the enchanting table now opens properly at high distances; previously there were cases where the player could be pressed right up to the block, yet the book would not acknowledge them.
 * TNT ignited by other explosions now appears at the right locations at high distances.
 * Detector rails at high distances were not always being correctly powered and depowered, which has been fixed.
 * Mob pathfinding caused mobs to randomly swivel at high distances.
 * Mob spawning would also break down, spawning mobs at block corners and sometimes inside of other blocks.
 * Generation of minecart with chests in mineshafts will now spawn them at the intended positions.
 * Data packs
 * Game now detects critical data pack issues, like missing required tags that prevent the world from being loaded.


 * Tags
 * Removed sweet berry bushes from the block tag.
 * The item tag now uses the  item tag.
 * Added gold nuggets to the item tag.

Trivia

 * This pre-release released on the same day as 1.13-pre1, but two years later.

Video
Video made by slicedlime: