Better Together Update

The Better Together Update is an update to Pocket Edition, Windows 10 Edition, Gear VR Edition, Apple TV Edition, Fire TV Edition, and a new version of the Xbox One Edition and Nintendo Switch Edition. It was released for Pocket Edition as version 1.2, and as a new version for the Xbox One and Nintendo Switch. Beta testing for the update began on July 31, 2017. , and it was submitted to certification for 9 of the 10 platforms on September 15, 2017. It was released on September 20th, 2017 on all platforms except Nintendo Switch, which is being delayed till the end of the year to get Xbox accounts working on it. The update for the Xbox One Edition is free for gamers who own a digital copy or have played the disc version for at least 5 hours in the past 12 months. The legacy versions for the Nintendo Switch and Xbox One will no longer receive updates.

The official name for the update, Better Together Update, merges the bedrock platforms under one title - "Minecraft", reflecting the addition of cross-platform compatibility between the Pocket Edition (Android/iOS only), Windows 10 Edition, Xbox One Edition, Gear VR Edition, and soon the Nintendo Switch Edition. .

With the release of the Better Together Update, the original PC version, which is officially named Minecraft but commonly called "the Java edition", has been renamed to Minecraft: Java Edition to distinguish it from the cross-platform version.

New version-exclusive features

 * How to Play tutorial
 * In-game shortcuts for certain commands
 * Featured servers
 * Coordinates (only accessible via cheats)
 * Custom characters.
 * choice skins
 * choice skins

Features Ported from Other Editions

 * Blocks
 * Banner
 * Coarse Dirt
 * Jukebox
 * Stained Glass
 * Structure Block (limited function, only on Windows 10)
 * Items
 * Music Disc
 * Armor Stand
 * Book and Quill and Written Book
 * Firework Rocket
 * Firework Star
 * Mobs
 * Parrot
 * Generated structures
 * Ravines
 * Other
 * Ability to include a starting map and/or bonus chest when creating a world
 * Splitscreen
 * Choice of outline instead of highlight for block selection
 * Brewing Stand must be fueled with Blaze Powder
 * Added Recipe Book
 * Ability to change player skin while playing a world
 * Player permissions
 * Stained Glass and Stained Glass Pane are colored and drop themselves when broken with any tool

Features ported from, or similar to, Java Edition

 * New crafting system based on the Recipe Book
 * Server list
 * command for functionality similar to spawn chunks
 * Ability to change player skin while playing a world
 * Player permissions
 * Stained Glass and Stained Glass Pane are colored and drop themselves when broken with any tool

Further revisions

 * 1.2.1 fixed numerous bugs.