It’s official: Minecraft is coming to Nintendo Switch, not quite at launch, but within the first few months. And you may say, so what? Minecraft is already available on every platform. But there’s something different about the Switch version, something that will make it arguably the best version of the game yet released: It will be the full game, and it will truly be mobile. That has never happened before and it’s a game changer.
Why Minecraft Switch Edition Will Be The Perfect Version Of The Game
When Minecraft came to the Wii U, people said it was too late—the game had been out for years. And while the game still did very well on the Wii U and the GamePad’s remote play augmented the experience—as did the amazing Mario skinpack—it was not a drop-dead must-own version of the game. Nor was it ever going to be. Instead, even at the time, it seemed clear that Nintendo was laying the groundwork for Minecraft Switch Edition. Rumors already pointed to the Nintendo NX being a dual console-handheld system and that was hugely promising for Minecraft.
Let’s face it: Minecraft has never been great on the go. Pocket Edition has always been hobbled. It didn’t even have the Nether for years and while it has mostly caught up content-wise, it’s difficult to control and always will be. The PS Vita Edition was better, but updates lagged significantly behind the console editions and the PS Vita never had a great install base anyway.
The Nintendo Switch, on the other hand, is perfect for Minecraft. One key feature sets it apart: You’ll be able to play on your same Minecraft world both on the television and on the go. You couldn’t do that with PS4 and PS Vita, or Xbox One and your tablet, because they were different versions of the game and different systems. With the Switch, playing Minecraft on your television and as a handheld is totally natural—it’s the key feature of the system, after all! You can take Zelda with you on the go, and you can take Minecraft too. Best of all, you’ll have buttons, not a stylus or clumsy, foolish thumbs. And you won’t have to have a separate world to play on the subway or in the airport; you can just check into your normal world and have at it, picking up right where you left off.
That’s something even the PC edition of Minecraft can’t do, and it makes Minecraft Switch Edition uniquely compelling—worthwhile even for longtime Minecraft players. I’ll certainly be picking it up and starting a new world. What about you?
