World boundary

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The world boundary is the area defining the intended spatial edges of a Minecraft dimension. It is distinct from hard limits, which are defined by limitations of the programming language itself.

Horizontal limits


There are several different intended horizontal boundaries in the game.

Firstly is the maximum distance nether portals can generate at in the Overworld, at X/Z ±29,999,872 blocks (128 blocks, from the 16 blocks per chunk multiplied by the 8 block multiplier). This limit prevents any surpassing of the next borders using the Nether to multiply distance by 8.

The next layer is the world border, which lies at X/Z ±29,999,984 by default, and establishes an arbitrary (but capped at this default value) blockade to prevent the player from advancing. There are several methods of bypassing this border.

The third layer lies exactly one chunk further, at X/Z: ±30,000,000. At this point, there is an invisible "wall" preventing the player from advancing by setting any players' positions beyond it to it, even in spectator mode. Using commands like does not work, since the game does not accept any value beyond X/Z: ±30,000,000. This value is hard-coded into the game's source code. Other block interactions, such as TNT exploding or water flowing, affects blocks outside this limit. By using a minecart (in a superflat preset with the top layer as rails), the player can go even further, up to X/Z: ±30,000,256. At that point, the player is frozen in place until the minecart is destroyed, then they are teleported back to X/Z: ±30,000,000.

The fourth and final layer lies at X/Z: ±30,000,256, which can be considered the absolute edge of the Minecraft world, as chunks no longer generate beyond this point, so it's impossible to advance past this point without the use of modifications.

By editing the source code for the game, it is possible to extend the terrain generation and world border past X/Z: ±30,000,256 (up to X/Z: ±2,147,483,647) and experience the game quite normally (no ghost chunks; mobs can spawn alright; commands accept higher values). The game performs normally even at distances of X/Z: ±2,000,000,000, as in modern versions most distance effects have been patched out of the game. It is advisable to take note of what distance effects do exist, as well as the hard limits present - notably the ±33,554,432 lighting stop and hard limit of ±2,147,483,647.

Vertical limits
The player is able to build up to Y = 256 (320), and down to Y = 0 (-64). But it is not possible to build any further than that. However, one can still fly with creative mode or an elytra, or use explosives/slime blocks and pistons to get past Y = 256 (320).

In Java Edition from snapshot 20w49a, the height limit could be altered in custom worlds, allowing the ability to build past the height limit (256 (320)) and also below the bedrock (y=0 (y=-64)). This was reverted and delayed after the decision to delay the parts of the update that dealt with World Generation, this came into effect in 21w15a.

Horizontal limits
Bedrock Edition technically has no hard boundary, and the world at far distances is far too ravaged by several distance effects to provide any semblance of reasonable gameplay. Nonetheless, there do exist intentional defined limits for some game functionality:


 * It is impossible to teleport beyond X/Z ±30,000,000 using commands in the vanilla game. Any attempts to teleport further puts the player back to this coordinate. Attempting to use any block placement command results in an error message. Despite this, it is still possible to use structure blocks and the command.
 * X/Z ±31,999,872 are the maximum coordinates reachable in the Overworld via Nether portal. The only way to teleport beyond these coordinates is to use external tools (such as a world editor).

Vertical limits
The player is able to go to Y ±30,000,000 but it is impossible to teleport beyond these coordinates without the use of external tools.

Java Edition
Generally, long server response times caused by massive distances produce unintended results, but most blocks and entities behave normally, with a few exceptions:


 * and fall normally, albeit at a much slower pace due to long response times.
 * Extended s may sometimes not render until they receive another block update.


 * Beyond the X/Z ±30,000,000 mark:
 * Mobs do not spawn at all.
 * Lighting does not update (with exception to sunlight and moonlight).
 * Items may jitter slightly.

Beyond this, most of the unintended behavior of blocks and entities is caused by either the world border (as detailed here), or being sufficiently far from the world origin (see this page). Some odd effects which are attributed to the boundary itself are as follows:


 * Attempting to walk into the boundary will still display a walking animation, walking sounds and cause view bobbing, effects which are not present for walking into the world border or solid walls. Mojang has decided not to fix this issue.
 * Using elytra to fly into the border will cause the flying sound to continue to play at full volume rather than quietly or not at all.
 * Rain particles will always hit the ground at exactly sea level regardless of the actual shape of terrain beyond 30 million blocks. Mojang have decided to also not fix this.

Horizontal boundaries

 * Indev era

Infdev
On February 27, 2010, version of Infdev, many side effects would occur as the player walked thousands or even millions of blocks away.
 * X/Z ±512–1,024: Clouds stop rendering.

In Infdev 20100327, walking off the edge would cause the player to become stuck in a glitched position, unable to escape.

In previous versions of the game, if the player teleported as high as they possibly could, they were sent to a Y-Axis of 3.4x1038. In this zone, the player floats without a purpose, and dropped items that slide with what appears to be no friction before suddenly stop after about 20 blocks. It has been reported that the X and Z-Axis sometimes flicker randomly in this zone. The memory pie chart also sometimes randomly jumps to 100% undefined memory usage, and then disappears upon re-entering the debug menu.

Fake chunks
As the player journeys even deeper into the Far Lands, the effects worsen to the point where the game is unplayable. At X/Z ±32,000,000, blocks are treated as permanently nonexistent, and do not generate even though they may appear to. When Minecraft generates and loads chunks, it loads an empty version of the terrain, complete with grass, stone and water textures that cannot be walked on. This map generates out to the 32-bit integer limit. The game can load chunks only out to X/Z: ±32,000,000, causing a problem between the noise map and the chunk generator. To fix this problem, Minecraft removes the chunks generated beyond X/Z: >±32,000,000 and generates only the noise map. If the player tries to walk on this map, they fall into the void. This value is hard-coded in the source code of Minecraft, meaning that it cannot be changed without editing the source files. Because chunks technically do not generate beyond X/Z: ±32,000,000, things like trees, falling gravel, falling sand, mobs, grass, and other entities do not generate either. This can make the map relatively stable and crashes can be somewhat rare; however, crashes can happen on low-end computers. In rare cases, if the player performs the "ghost spawn glitch" that worked in versions between Beta 1.6 Test Build 3 and Beta 1.7.3, the player can cause trees and plants to generate beyond ±32,000,000. However the framerate was actually much better the further one went because of no entities.

Console info
In the Xbox 360 Edition, PlayStation 3 Edition, PlayStation Vita Edition, and Wii U Edition, the Overworld is limited to 864×864 blocks. Additionally, in the Xbox One Edition, PlayStation 4 Edition and Nintendo Switch Edition, the player is able to further select the size of their worlds, from Small (1024&times;1024), Medium (3072&times;3072), and Large (5120&times;5120, except Nintendo Switch Edition). The edges of these worlds are surrounded by an invisible barrier with an endless sea of water beyond it.

Trivia

 * Traveling from one edge of the world to the opposite edge by powered rail would take 35 days and 10 hours. Building the rails for such a trip would require enough iron and/or gold to fill over  723 double chests, even when packed into blocks, as well as sticks made from enough wood to fill over  135 double chests (as log blocks, not as planks, and excluding the redstone torches). (53 stacks of logs would be required just to make enough chests to hold all the building materials for this rail track.) If already crafted, the rails required would fill  17,361 double chests. If the player had to gather the materials to make all those rails, they would wear out  14,404 diamond pickaxes and  300 diamond axes (on average, about  3,601 diamond pickaxes and  75 diamond axes, both enchanted with Unbreaking 3).
 * Even if one were to amass all these materials, actually laying said track would require the player to travel the entire distance through other means anyway.
 * Factoring in the need for powering the track and assuming the player were to use redstone torches, the player would require 3,529,412 torches for the full track, since a torch can optimally light 17 blocks. That requires 55,148 sticks and bits of redstone dust, which requires 2042 large chests, which requires 128 stacks of log blocks to make the chests (which requires 3 large chests).
 * Traveling from 0,0 to the edge of the world by foot takes around 140 days.
 * It is possible to generate trees and vegetation beyond 30,000,000 by loading a version of Minecraft after Java Edition 1.9, then load a few chunks beyond the world border. Then, close the world and load a version of Minecraft between Beta 1.8 - Release Java Edition 1.6-pre and load the same world. If the players travel to the world barrier, there are a few chunks that generate beyond 30,000,000 that have trees and grass.
 * It is possible to even generate Far Lands chunks using this method. Load a world in release Beta 1.8 - Release 1.6 and teleport to X/Z: 30,000,000. Close the world before the fake chunks generate and load the world in Beta 1.7.3. The Far Lands chunks load and then, the player can load as many chunks as they want. Then close the world and load it in a newer version, and the player has Far Lands chunks in the 30,000,000 block area.
 * Spiders can climb the border, continuing to climb upward indefinitely..
 * In Minecraft 4k, there is a barrier on the bottom of the map, which is unbreakable by any means.