Glass vs Tinted Glass: How different are the two Minecraft blocks?

Glass blocks have been in Minecraft since 2009, and tinted glass blocks made their way into the game in the recent Caves & Cliffs update, but what makes these two blocks different aside from their appearance?

The two blocks are disparate in age but can still both be used as decorative blocks. However, they interact with the world and mechanics of Minecraft differently, so players may want to know the comparisons and contrasts between the two blocks in order to serve certain purposes that they may be pursuing.

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Minecraft: Glass and tinted glass - How they are similar and different

Tinted glass was introduced in Minecraft's 1.17 update (Image via Mojang)

Most Minecraft players are familiar with glass blocks. They're fragile, allow light to pass through them, and are created via heating sand blocks in a furnace. They can be formed into panes for decorative purposes and have the ability to be dyed into stained glass for the same purposes.

Many players also use it to prohibit hostile mob spawning, as most cannot spawn atop glass blocks. Mobs may also suffocate when encased in glass blocks.

When it comes to tinted glass, however, things are slightly different. These blocks are still fragile like their standard counterparts, but they drop themselves as a block when broken instead of being outright destroyed.

Tinted glass blocks are transparent like standard glass blocks, but are opaque when it comes to light, as they block light from passing through them. Tinted glass is also somewhat more difficult to craft, requiring Amethyst shards from underground geodes as a crafting component.

Strangely enough, Minecraft mobs do not suffocate within tinted glass the way that they do in normal glass blocks.

At the moment, tinted glass is not used in any crafting recipes, making it a decorative block at its essence, though Mojang may change this in future updates. On the other hand, glass blocks are used to craft plenty of objects such as beacons, daylight detectors, End Crystals, bottles, and even tinted glass blocks themselves.

Since tinted glass is still a relatively new block, it is likely to see revisions and have its utility expanded in the future. It may not ever quite reach a standard glass block's utility in Minecraft, but patient players may be pleased to see what developments come next.

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