The minecraft.net store sells one game for computers, Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition, and the name raises fair questions. Is it two games or one? Do you pay twice? Which edition do you start, and can friends on the other edition join you? This post answers them from Mojang's own store and news pages, checked on 3 November 2026.
Quick answer: Yes, if you buy Minecraft on PC you get Java and Bedrock. Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition for PC is one purchase that contains Minecraft: Java Edition, Minecraft: Bedrock Edition and the Minecraft Launcher, which installs and starts both. Both editions belong to the Microsoft account you bought with: sign in to the launcher with that account, select an edition and press Play. Players who already owned one edition on PC got the other one free from 7 June 2022. Java runs on Windows, macOS and Linux, while Bedrock on a computer needs Windows. The two editions do not play together by default; a Java server with Geyser is how you get both groups into one world.
What "Java and Bedrock Edition for PC" Includes
Every version of the bundle contains the same three things:
- Minecraft: Java Edition, the original computer version, which runs on Windows, macOS and Linux and is the edition for mods.
- Minecraft: Bedrock Edition, the version that also runs on consoles and phones. On a computer it needs Windows.
- The Minecraft Launcher, one app that installs, updates and starts both.
Mojang's announcement from June 2022 says the package "gives you both editions in one purchase, and it will become the standard and only offering of vanilla Minecraft on Windows PC." So you do not pick Java or Bedrock at checkout. You pick one of three versions of the same bundle:
| Version | US list price (checked 3 November 2026) | Extras on top of both editions |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Edition | $29.99 | None |
| Deluxe Collection | $39.99 | 700 Minecoins, 3 add-ons (Celebration Food, Rescue Dogs, Plenty O' Blocks), 3 Character Creator items |
| Ultimate Collection | $49.99 | 1000 Minecoins, 5 add-ons (the Deluxe three plus Decocraft and Weapons + Tools), 5 Character Creator items |
Prices differ per country and can change, so check the store for your own region. Every extra in Deluxe and Ultimate is Bedrock content. The store's disclaimer says add-ons, Minecoins and Character Creator items "require a Microsoft account and Minecraft Bedrock Edition" and are "not supported in Minecraft Java Edition." If you want the game for Java modpacks or a Java server, Standard Edition already has everything you will use.
One Purchase, One Microsoft Account
Both editions are tied to the Microsoft account you buy with. The store FAQ says you open the launcher and sign in "using your Microsoft account", and that it has to be "the same Microsoft account you used to purchase the game." That also settles the new computer question: you do not buy Minecraft again. Install the launcher on the new machine, sign in with the same account, and your games show up in the library.
Already own one edition?
Then you already have both. In its post of 4 June 2022, Mojang wrote that from 7 June "all players that have either Java Edition or Bedrock Edition will receive the edition they do not currently own for free, right in the Minecraft Launcher." Nobody had to claim anything.
If your game is called Minecraft for Windows, that is Bedrock Edition. The store FAQ adds that you can still play Java Edition on the same Windows PC.
Java shows Buy Now although you paid
Select Java Edition in the launcher. Install or Play means the account owns it. If you see Buy Now after buying the bundle, a Microsoft moderator on Microsoft Q&A explains that this "usually means the launcher isn't correctly matching your game license with the account that's currently signed in." Work through these steps:
- Sign out of the launcher and sign back in with the account that bought Minecraft.
- Check in the Microsoft Store, under that same account, that Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition for PC shows as owned.
- Restart the computer and open the launcher again. If Java still shows Buy Now, reinstall the launcher from the Microsoft Store, and after that contact Minecraft support.
If your Bedrock copy is on a console or phone, sign in to the launcher on your computer with that account and select Java. Buy Now there means the account does not own Java Edition.
How to Switch Between Java and Bedrock in the Launcher
You do not need a second launcher. In November 2021 Mojang introduced one Minecraft Launcher for both editions, instead of a separate launcher for each, and both start from it:
- Install the Minecraft Launcher. On Windows 10 and 11 it comes from the Microsoft Store or from minecraft.net/download; on macOS and Linux, from minecraft.net.
- Sign in with the Microsoft account that owns the game.
- Select Minecraft: Java Edition or Minecraft: Bedrock Edition, press Install the first time and Play after that.
- To change edition, close the game and start the other one from the launcher.
You play one edition at a time. Mojang's own comparison says you "still have to switch between editions based on who you want to play with", so ask your friends which edition they use before you start. Your worlds stay behind when you switch: the store says worlds and saves from Java Edition are not compatible with Bedrock Edition.
Java has one switch that Bedrock lacks. In the launcher's Installations tab you can add any release version of Java Edition, which helps when a server runs an older version. On Bedrock you only get the latest stable version, or a beta or preview.
Which Edition Runs Where, and How Much Space It Takes
Only Windows runs both editions. On macOS and Linux the bundle gives you Java Edition.
| Java Edition | Bedrock Edition | |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | Windows 10 64-bit or Windows on ARM | Windows 10 version 19041.0 or higher |
| macOS | macOS 12 or newer | No |
| Linux | 64-bit | No |
| Minimum memory | 8 GB with a discrete GPU, 12 GB with integrated graphics | 4 GB |
| Recommended memory | 16 GB | 8 GB |
| Storage | 2 GB minimum, 4 GB recommended | 4 GB minimum, 8 GB recommended |
Installed side by side, the two editions need at least 6 GB of free space, and Mojang's recommended figures add up to 12 GB. Saved worlds and updates come on top of that.
Look at the graphics chip before you plan Java on an older laptop. Java's minimum is a Vulkan 1.3 capable GPU with at least 2 GB of VRAM: an NVIDIA GTX 950, AMD Radeon RX 460 or Intel Arc A310 or newer, or for integrated graphics an Intel i5-6400 or newer. Bedrock's minimum is an Intel HD Graphics 4000 or AMD Radeon R5 220 class GPU. Mojang calls Java "resource intensive" and says Bedrock "does not require powerful computers or devices to run."
Java vs Bedrock in Practice
They are two separate games that share one purchase. The differences you notice first:
- Mods: only Java Edition supports mods. Bedrock has add-ons and the Minecraft Marketplace instead.
- Crossplay: Java plays with Java on Windows, Mac and Linux. Bedrock plays with Bedrock on Windows 10 and 11, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, PS5, PS4 and mobile. Online multiplayer on a console needs that platform's own subscription.
- Controllers and touch: Bedrock supports both. Java Edition has no native controller support.
- Realms: both editions have Realms, for up to 10 friends at a time. Realms Plus, with its library of Marketplace content, is Bedrock only.
- Servers: both editions can host and join player-run servers. Mojang offers the free Bedrock Dedicated Server for Windows and Ubuntu, while Java servers run plugins on Paper and mods on Fabric, Forge or NeoForge.
For the server side of this comparison, see our Java vs Bedrock server differences guide.
Can Java and Bedrock Players Play Together?
Not by default: the store page says Java Edition users "can only play with other Java users", and owning both on PC only lets you join either group, one edition at a time. To get everyone into one world, run a Java server with Geyser, GeyserMC's free bridge that lets Bedrock players join a Java server. It installs as a plugin on Paper or Spigot, a mod on Fabric or NeoForge, or on a Velocity or BungeeCord proxy, and its companion Floodgate lets Bedrock players in without a paid Java Edition account. Three things decide whether it works. Versions: on 3 November 2026 GeyserMC supports Bedrock 26.40 to 26.60 and Java 26.3, a server on an older Java version needs ViaVersion (below 1.20.5 a proxy as well), and Geyser-Fabric and Geyser-NeoForge run only on 26.3 and only alongside server-side mods. The port: Geyser needs its own port, 19132 by default, open for both TCP and UDP and never the Java server's port; on Space-Node every plan includes 3 port allocations, so Geyser gets one of its own. Consoles: Xbox, PlayStation and Switch cannot join third-party servers out of the box, so console players use BedrockConnect, MCXboxBroadcast or a LAN helper app, while Windows and phone players add the server by address. GeyserMC lists some things as unfixable, such as clickable links in chat and the glowing effect. Our Geyser and Floodgate setup guide walks through the install, and the NetherNet guide covers the TCP and UDP port change.
FAQ
If you buy Minecraft on PC, do you get Java and Bedrock? Yes. The computer version is sold as Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition for PC, and Standard, Deluxe and Ultimate all include both editions and the launcher. On a Mac or a Linux computer you can only run the Java half.
Is Java Edition only on PC? Yes. Mojang lists Java Edition for Windows, macOS and Linux only, so there is no Java Edition for consoles, phones or tablets; those run Bedrock. A Mac counts as a computer here: it runs Java, not Bedrock.
How much GB is Minecraft Java and Bedrock on PC? Mojang lists 2 GB minimum and 4 GB recommended for Java, and 4 GB minimum and 8 GB recommended for Bedrock. Plan for 6 to 12 GB for both, plus room for worlds and updates. For memory, Java needs at least 8 GB of RAM with a discrete GPU or 12 GB with integrated graphics.
Can you buy Java and Bedrock separately? Not on PC. Since 7 June 2022 Mojang sells vanilla Minecraft for Windows PC only as the Java & Bedrock bundle, and players who owned one edition then received the other one free. Consoles and phones only have Bedrock.
Is Minecraft for Windows Java or Bedrock? Bedrock. The store FAQ says "If you have Minecraft for Windows, you have the Bedrock Edition", and you can still play Java Edition on the same Windows PC.
Sources
All opened on 3 November 2026:
- Mojang, minecraft.net: Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition for PC store page (bundle contents, Deluxe and Ultimate extras and disclaimers, edition comparison, system requirements, storage, crossplay and account FAQ), Deluxe Collection, Ultimate Collection
- Microsoft Store: Minecraft: Java & Bedrock Edition for PC (US list prices of the three versions)
- Mojang: Java & Bedrock Edition for PC is out on June 7 (4 June 2022)
- Mojang: The Difference between Java and Bedrock Editions (25 October 2021)
- Mojang: Minecraft is now included in Game Pass for PC (2 November 2021, the unified launcher)
- Mojang: Minecraft Launcher download, Bedrock Dedicated Server download
- Microsoft Q&A: I bought the Minecraft Java and Bedrock bundle but I cant play Java edition (moderator answer, 25 February 2026)
- GeyserMC wiki: Overview, Supported versions, Setup, Port forwarding, Using Geyser with Consoles, Current limitations, Floodgate
Run one server for both editions. On Space-Node Minecraft server hosting, all servers support Java Edition and Bedrock (via Geyser), with one-click installs for Forge, Fabric, NeoForge, Paper, Spigot and Purpur.