Minecraft Java Edition: Download guide, system requirements, and more

If one were to look back on the last two decades of gaming, only a handful of games have had the staying power and popularity of Minecraft. The game has evolved way past its original, rudimentary form to become a full-fledged pop-culture phenomenon and an industry juggernaut.

Minecraft has often been hailed as the Tetris or Pac-Man of today's generation as it has an extremely universal appeal that makes it accessible to a larger audience.

The most popular way to experience the game is through Minecraft: Java Edition that is available on PC. Since it is a fairly easy game to run in terms of hardware, it is understandably popular with PC users.

The game can be downloaded through the official Minecraft website.

Minecraft: Java Edition download details

Follow these steps to download Minecraft Java Edition on your PC:

1. Visit the official website.
2. Look for Minecraft, under "Games" (link here).
3. Select "Buy Now" from the top corner of the screen.
4. Complete the payment process.
5. The download will begin shortly.

Big things are in store for Minecraft players in 2021 as Mojang announced their plans for a massive update with 1.17 Caves and Cliffs. The update, as the title suggests, will focus on cavers and will look to add more biomes in the game.

Minecraft has been steadily growing in popularity rather than fading into obscurity, which is remarkable for a game that came out in 2009. Not a lot of games have been able to do this, and given the game's somewhat rudimentary gameplay loop, it is truly a massive achievement.

System Requirements:

Minimum Requirements:

• CPU: Intel Core i3-3210 3.2 GHz / AMD A8-7600 APU 3.1 GHz or equivalent
• RAM: 4GB
• GPU (Integrated): Intel HD Graphics 4000 (Ivy Bridge) or AMD Radeon R5 series (Kaveri line) with OpenGL 4.4*
• GPU (Discrete): Nvidia GeForce 400 Series or AMD Radeon HD 7000 series with OpenGL 4.4
• HDD: At least 1GB for game core, maps and other files
• OS:
• - Windows: Windows 7 and up
• - macOS: Any 64-bit OS X using 10.9 Maverick or newer
• - Linux: Any modern 64-bit distributions from 2014 onwards
• Internet connectivity is required for downloading Minecraft files, afterwards offline play is possible.

Recommended Requirements:

• CPU: Intel Core i5-4690 3.5GHz / AMD A10-7800 APU 3.5 GHz or equivalent
• RAM: 8GB
• GPU: GeForce 700 Series or AMD Radeon Rx 200 Series (excluding integrated chipsets) with OpenGL 4.5
• HDD: 4GB (SSD is recommended)
• OS (recommended 64-bit):
• - Windows: Windows 10
• - macOS: macOS 10.12 Sierra
• - Linux: Any modern distributions from 2014 onwards

(Source: Minecraft official website)