Minecraft 1.20 snapshot 23w17a patch notes: New ambient music, achievements, music disc, and more

The latest Minecraft snapshot to preview the 1.20 update has been released. It is known as version 23w17a. The snapshot introduces a new music disc, advancements for Java Edition, and fresh game music while fixing a litany of bugs. Many technical changes are also implemented under the hood that should prove to be helpful for modders and other creators.

This snapshot isn't the largest experimental update to Minecraft: Java Edition in recent months, but it does continue to build on those that came before it.

23w17a takes another step toward the official 1.20 Trails & Tales release, which should be in the near future, considering its spring release window.

Since this snapshot was just released, it's a good idea to analyze its most important aspects for curious Minecraft fans.

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The most notable changes in Minecraft 23w17a's patch notes

Since a large collection of changes in Java snapshot 23w17a have to do with Minecraft's code or other aspects of the game that players don't usually encounter, it's best to set those aside for now.

The full patch notes can be found at this link. For the most part, the changes and implementations addressed will be those that everyday players will experience through gameplay.

New In-Game Advancements

• Smells Interesting - Obtain a sniffer egg.
• Little Sniffs - Feed a snifflet.
• Planting the Past - Plant any seed dug up by a sniffer.
• Respecting the Remnants - Brush a suspicious sand/gravel block and obtain a pottery shard.
• Careful Restoration - Make a decorated pot block using four pottery shards.
• Crafting a New Look - Craft trimmed armor using the smithing table.
• Smithing with Style - Apply the Spire, Snout, Rib, Ward, Silence, Vex, Tide, and Wayfinder smithing templates at least once.

New Music by Aaron Cherof

• A Familiar Room
• Bromeliad
• Crescent Dunes
• Echo in the Wind
• These tracks have been added to the cherry grove, desert, badlands, jungle, and flower forest biomes.

New Music Disc

• "Relic" by Aaron Cherof - Found by brushing suspicious sand/gravel blocks in trail ruins structures.

Sculk Sensor Update

• Sculk sensors and calibrated sculk sensors now operate in three separate phases: inactive, active, and cooldown.
• Inactive Phase - Lasts indefinitely until the sensor picks up a vibration.
• Active Phase - Lasts 30 ticks for sculk sensors and 10 ticks for calibrated sculk sensors. A redstone signal and light are emitted, and sensors will stop detecting other vibrations.
• Cooldown Phase - Lasts 10 game ticks, and the signal/light stops. The sensors continue to wiggle their tendrils but won't receive more vibrations until they return to the inactive phase after the ten-tick period has elapsed.

Miscellaneous Changes

• Decorated pots that have been crafted now have a hover tooltip that explains the resources used in their crafting recipe.
• Players can now press the up arrow key to scroll up the game's credits while they're running.

Currently, fans can access the latest snapshot of Java Edition courtesy of the game's official launcher. With a few clicks, players can access snapshot 23w17a and enjoy all of the new content and changes.