What you need to know
- Minecraft is one of the only major Xbox titles that isn't available on Steam, the world's most popular PC gaming platform.
- Even other Minecraft spin-off games like Minecraft Dungeons and Minecraft Legends are available, but Minecraft isn't.
- A new Xbox Game Pass Ultimate Perk for Minecraft: Bedrock Edition mentions Steam as a supported platform, however.
- It could simply be a coincidence, but other Perks feature different disclaimers, suggesting that Minecraft could possibly release on Steam in the future.
In recent years, Xbox strategy has evolved to envelop both console and Windows PC platforms. This especially includes Steam, the world's largest PC gaming platform and a nearly unavoidable behemoth if a video game wants to succeed on PC. The vast majority of Xbox's first-party games are available on Steam in addition to the Microsoft Store on Xbox and Windows PC, but there is one notable exception: Minecraft.
The best-selling video game of all time, Minecraft has long required its own separate launcher for the Java Edition, and the Bedrock Edition is only available on console storefronts and the Microsoft Store. However, there is a sign that this could potentially change in the near future. Minecraft Dungeons and Minecraft Legends are already available on Steam, so it makes sense that Minecraft would make its way there, too.
Eagle-eyed Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscribers have spotted an interesting tidbit of information, and Windows Central has verified it. As part of Minecraft's 15-year anniversary celebration, a new Game Pass Ultimate Perk gifts players 500 Minecoins for use in the cross-platform Minecraft Marketplace. It's a nice offering, but what's fascinating is the disclaimer text when you go to claim the perk: "Requires Minecraft: Bedrock Edition (for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC or Steam) with Minecraft Marketplace."
Obviously, Minecraft: Bedrock Edition isn't available on Steam, so it's odd that the PC platform is specifically named here while other platforms like Switch, Android, and iOS aren't. We checked other perks to ensure this isn't generic boilerplate text, and confirmed that disclaimers are unique to each game.
However, this doesn't really guarantee anything. It's unlikely that whoever is in charge of these disclaimers has in-depth knowledge of upcoming platform releases, for one, and it could simply be a coincidence or mistake, given that most of Xbox's other games are available on Steam.
Still, it's more sign than we've gotten in the past, and could potentially point to a future (likely imminent) Steam release for Minecraft. This would undoubtedly make a lot of players very happy; Steam isn't just a storefront and the primary games library for most PC gamers, it also boasts a wide array of community features and could potentially bring more mod support to Minecraft via the Steam Workshop. On top of that, players would no longer need weird workarounds and hacks to get Minecraft to run on the Steam Deck.
Still, I wouldn't get your hopes up, yet. While I do believe it makes a lot of sense for Minecraft to join its siblings on Steam, Mojang Studios is infamously slow at implementing massive changes for the Minecraft franchise, and bringing Steam into the tight-knit, cross-platform fold that is Minecraft: Bedrock Edition would undoubtedly be a monumental effort. Above all, this is one mention of Steam in an insignificant location — interesting, but not a stone-set confirmation of Minecraft on Steam.
If it'll happen, hopefully we'll hear about it soon. If it won't, then I imagine we won't hear anything more at all. Whatever happens, would you be willing to purchase Minecraft once again?
