Minecraft becomes natively playable on PlayStation 5 with a preview release

Minecraft has been playable on the PlayStation 5 thanks to backward compatibility with the PlayStation 4 version, but now Mojang's sandbox title is getting native support for the PS5 thanks to the introduction of a new preview. On June 20, 2024, Mojang released a PlayStation-exclusive preview that allows fans to enjoy a version that is more compatible with the PS5 than before.

For example, suppose players have access to the PlayStation 4 version of Minecraft and have been playing it on their PS5 via backward compatibility. In that case, it's now possible to access the native PS5 preview in the settings menu. This preview even includes the Tricky Trials update, so players can enjoy the latest major content release on PlayStation 5.

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How to access the Minecraft PS5 preview

The native PS5 preview is accessible via the PS4 version of the game (Image via Mojang)

The latest Minecraft PS5 preview will require a copy of the PS4 version of the game and a PlayStation 5 console. It should be noted that the copy of the game in question should be the modern Bedrock Edition port, not the outdated PlayStation 4 Edition. Regardless, once players have their console and copy of the game, they can access the native PS5 preview with these steps:

1. Run your copy of Minecraft for PS4 on your PlayStation 5 console.
2. At the main menu, select your settings, then select "preview" from the list of choices in the settings menu.

That's all there is to it! Note that because this is an experimental version of Minecraft on the PlayStation 5, cross-play will be relegated to being able to play with other PS4 and PS5 players. The lone exception is if players choose to enjoy the game on a Realm, where they'll be able to play with users on other Bedrock-compatible devices like consoles, mobile devices, and Windows-based PCs.

Moreover, it's worth noting that this preview is for testing purposes to determine the game's functionality with the PlayStation 5's hardware specifications. Bugs, glitches, and unexpected issues might occur. Fans are encouraged to head to Mojang's bug report site to point out any potential problems that crop up, and there may be quite a few to find in this first-time native PS5 preview.

Whatever the case, this preview is only the beginning, and it likely won't be long before a proper version will make its way to PlayStation 5 consoles, further expanding the many platforms where players can enjoy the game together.