Which Minecraft Edition should you play on Windows?

Minecraft players on Windows PCs have more than one option to enjoy the game, each with its own strengths and shortcomings. There's Java Edition, the original iteration of the game, and the Windows 10/11 Edition based on the Bedrock Edition codebase, found across platforms like consoles and mobile devices. But which version should newcomers on Windows play?

The answer, based on features, flexibility, and performance, points to Java Edition. To explain why, it doesn't hurt to examine the pros and cons of each Minecraft Edition for Windows PCs.

While players are always free to choose the one that suits them best, the upsides and downsides below should show them the benefits of Java Edition on Windows compared to its Bedrock-based counterpart.

Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the opinions of the writer

Comparing and contrasting Minecraft Java and Windows Editions on Windows PCs

Java Edition

Minecraft Java was the original release of the game before it arrived on other platforms (Image via Mojang)

The original iteration of Minecraft on PC that was released in 2011, Java Edition is still enjoyed by millions of players due to its flexibility. It's quite easy to mod and customize, thanks to readily available mod loaders and resource packs. It also possesses native shader support and extensive graphical customization. Players also typically gain access to new features early via its experimental snapshots.

However, there are some downsides to Java as well. It has no native controller support, and it can only play multiplayer with other Java Edition players without the assistance of mods or certain server plugins.

Moreover, Java Edition has no reliable way to find recent players or add them to a friends list, making multiplayer a bit more stringent without substantial modifications.

Key art for Minecraft: Java Edition (Image via Mojang)

The Java-based engine can also cause issues for Minecraft players. Although Java Edition runs well on various platforms, years of updates have seen some fans run into performance issues like FPS drops, stuttering, and other issues. While this doesn't happen to a majority of players (and can be addressed with mods like Sodium), Java Edition can still run into some performance problems.

Whatever the case, Java remains arguably the most popular version of the game on PC platforms of any operating system. It's flexible enough to meet players' needs and gains earlier access to new experimental content. It has robust customization for both gameplay and visuals, and many of its downsides can be worked around if players are a bit knowledgeable about their Windows PC.

Windows 10/11 Edition

Minecraft's Windows 10/11 Edition is a version of the game under the Bedrock Edition umbrella released in 2015, utilizing a code base written in C++ instead of Java.

Since Bedrock Edition is available across various platforms, players on Windows 10/11 Edition can enjoy crossplay with players on Xbox, Switch, and Playstation consoles as well as mobile users on Android and iOS devices.

Windows 10/11 Edition also enjoys remarkably stable performance even on low-end PCs without the assistance of modifications. Its UI is visually satisfying and approachable enough to be used by just about any kind of player. Windows Edition also features native controller support for players who aren't keen on playing with a mouse and keyboard.

Being a port of Bedrock, Windows Edition also features solid customization options, courtesy of the dressing room feature. This allows players to create custom skins or equip those found on the Minecraft Marketplace within the game without having to use a launcher or the game's official website in the way that Java Edition does.

Key art for Minecraft: Bedrock Edition as well as its accompanying platform ports like Windows (Image via Mojang)

There are certainly some downsides to this edition, though. For example, Bedrock-only servers are a bit less widespread. While it's possible to mod Windows Edition with add-ons, the collection isn't as abundant compared to Java Edition. Many developers only offer their add-ons on the Minecraft Marketplace, where many pieces of content require payment via microtransactions.

Minecraft for Windows also utilizes the Bedrock Preview Program to try out new experimental features. While these are welcomed by players, they tend to lag behind Java Edition snapshots when it comes to their release window. As a result, new features are typically introduced in Java snapshots quite a while before they make their arrival on the Windows 10/11 Edition.

As a Bedrock-based version of the game, Minecraft's Windows 10/11 Edition also suffers from some problematic in-game bugs that aren't typically seen in Java, which is one of the reasons that many fans in the community have nicknamed Bedrock Edition "Bugrock." The most egregious glitches tend to get addressed quickly, but Mojang has struggled to pin down some bugs for quite some time.

Lastly, while Windows Edition can utilize shaders, thanks to the Minecraft Preview Program, the options are limited. Vanilla Bedrock currently doesn't have shader support on certain platforms. This typically means that players must play the game on a preview version and utilize the expanded graphical settings to get shader quality on par with Java.

Verdict: Play Java Edition on Windows first

Java Edition should have more to offer players based on their needs (Image via Mojang)

As long as players have relatively decent hardware on their Windows PC, Java Edition has a ton to offer players compared to Windows 10/11 Edition. Most of the things that Java falls short on can be easily fixed with mods. The advent of mod loaders like Forge and Fabric makes mod installation painless. No matter what players need from the game, there's likely a way Java can accomplish it.

This isn't to say that Windows 10/11 Edition is terrible by a large margin, but it's a bit more limited in what it can accomplish. The main hangup for Java remains the lack of crossplay with Bedrock Edition platforms. However, players can simply set up or join a server with the right infrastructure to allow Java and Bedrock users to enjoy the game together.

All in all, Java Edition might not be every player's cup of tea. However, if players are new to playing Minecraft on Windows PCs, they owe it to themselves to give Java a shot before trying out the Windows 10/11 Edition.