Why Minecraft 1.21.90 is a major update for Bedrock Edition

Minecraft will soon be receiving the Chase the Skies update on both Bedrock and Java Edition. It will be 1.21.6 for Java Edition and 1.21.90 for Bedrock Edition. Mojang announced the game drop in March and started pushing out new features to snapshots and beta/preview versions.

While the Chase the Skies update is great for the game as a whole, it is especially a significant milestone for Bedrock Edition. Here's how.

Reasons why Minecraft 1.21.90 is a massive update for Bedrock Edition

Vibrant Visuals

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During the first Minecraft Live of 2025, Mojang shocked its entire fanbase by releasing Vibrant Visuals. This is essentially a brand-new graphics overhaul that brings volumetric lighting, shadows, reflections, and fog to the game. It makes use of Render Dragon, Mojang's new graphics engine, which was only utilized as a test feature in beta/preview versions until now.

In the same event, Mojang announced that this feature is currently exclusive to Bedrock Edition and will arrive in Java Edition at a later date. As months passed, it was clear that the studio planned to release the feature in the next game drop, Chase the Skies.

For years, only Java Edition had the option to run all kinds of shader packs that made the game look pretty. Now, Bedrock Edition players will also have Mojang's very own shader pack to activate and enjoy the game in a whole new way.

Locator bar

Bedrock Edition has a larger player base that enjoys multiplayer worlds. This is particularly because of its cross-platform compatibility and easy multiplayer features.

However, playing with others in a vast Minecraft world can be tricky. This is especially true if two players want to find each other but are thousands of blocks away. Though they can share coordinates to locate each other, reading and following them can be tricky for beginners.

Hence, Mojang decided to add a new locator bar in the Chase the Skies game drop. It is worth noting that this feature will be released for both Java and Bedrock Edition.

This feature will turn the XP bar into a player locator bar that will show dots for each player. The size of these dots will determine how close or far each player is from the person looking at the bar.

Since Bedrock Edition players cannot install customizable and useful map mods like their Java Edition counterparts, a player locator bar can be a massive deal for many of them.

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About the author

Akshat has been a Minecraft writer at Sportskeeda for almost three years. He has loved gaming since childhood, and the fact that Need For Speed Most Wanted is still installed on his PC is proof that the flame burns strong even today. This love for the racing franchise spilled over to F1 fandom, leading him to cover the sport as well for the company.

Akshat's articles have accrued over 19 million views so far at Sportskeeda. He prefers both solo and multiplayer titles and is a huge admirer of popular gamers Shroud and Philza. Akshat places huge emphasis on accurate, relevant, and ethical content, and does thorough research using social media, videos, and a multitude of websites before writing an article.

Akshat's other hobbies include cars, mechanical keyboards, psychology, and philosophy. He would recommend indie and Slice of Life games to a gaming skeptic because of their ease of play, compelling storyline, and message.

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Edited by Akshat Kabra