Minecraft - how to distinguish Bedrock and Java editions from the box art

I bought my son two Minecraft editions for the Playstation 4. One was "Bedrock edition" and the other just was "Starter pack". This was from the descriptions on the seller's websites, even though the box arts do not state which version is which, so now I do not know which is which.

There seems to be no real difference between the box art of the two editions, except that one of the box art of one states that it is VR compatible. Otherwise both contain the words "starter pack" and both have similar descriptions on the back, but nowhere do I see the word "Bedrock" or "Java" on either edition's box art.

How do I know which is which? I would ideally wish to return one of them to the supplier. My son is 8, and he is not into modding yet, but he loves playing with modded versions. He does not play competitively - just build sprawling mansions and fortresses and such.

A secondary question - given what you've read above, which should I return to supplier?

Best Answer

I'm guessing that one of the products you bought looked like this:

This is a Bedrock Edition game. You'll notice this one says it includes the starter pack. "Starter Pack Contents - Includes 700 Tokens, LittleBigPlanet Mash-Up, Greek Mythology Mash-Up, Skin Pack 1, City Texture Pack." The starter pack is just a couple texture packs and/or worlds plus 700 of the in-game marketplace currency.

From what I've just read on the internet, there are ways to mod the PS4 version of the game, but I don't know any surefire way to get them.

It is not possible to play Java Edition on a console, so whatever you bought it is Bedrock Edition if it says PS4 on it.

As for whether to keep the VR version, that depends on whether or not you will be investing in the equipment to play VR. Here is an article about the release of VR for the PlayStation if you want to learn more.

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How do you know if your Bedrock or Java in Minecraft?

The most obvious difference between both versions is the world format. Bedrock Edition uses the LevelDB format for world storage while Java Edition uses the Anvil format. Due to this, most third-party tools created for Java Edition world editing will not work on Bedrock Edition.

How do you tell what Minecraft Edition you have?

If you want to know which is the current/latest version of Minecraft, you can visit the official Minecraft website. Check out the Release changelogs....Find Minecraft version on your PC

Open Minecraft.

Look at the bottom right corner.

The version number will be shown there.

How is Minecraft: Java Edition different from Bedrock?

Both Minecraft editions offer players a slightly different experience, with the PC-only Java option offering downloadable character skins and mods, and Bedrock providing multi-platform support and cross-play.

15 DIFFERENZE tra Minecraft Bedrock e Java Edition

More answers regarding minecraft - how to distinguish Bedrock and Java editions from the box art

Answer 2

They both should be Bedrock Edition. Java Edition only works on PC, Mac, and Linux while other devices (as well as PC when you download the game from the Microsoft Store that comes with Windows 10/11) use Bedrock Edition.

To answer your second question on which one to keep, I would probably keep the VR for if you are ever planning to play with VR.

Answer 3

Both versions you have are simply the Bedrock Edition of Minecraft. The "Starter pack" that is mentioned on one of the boxes is a voucher for digital currency in the Minecraft Marketplace, an online store to buy skins, pre-made worlds and mods (for Bedrock Edition only).

The reason one box doesn't mention Bedrock Edition is because it's newer. Since the Better Together Update, the Bedrock Edition moniker has been dropped. While Minecraft: Java Edition retained its suffix, any version that's just called Minecraft, or platform-specific versions like Mincraft: Windows 10 Edition, are really versions of Bedrock Edition.

While it's easy to speculate on why this decision was made, that's a story for a different question. What you need to know about this change is that your (or your sons) Minecraft worlds can be played and enjoyed with friends with versions of Minecraft on all platforms (Switch, Xbox, PlayStation, PC, smartphones). So if your son still enjoys Minecraft in a few years and finally saved enough money to buy a PlayStation 6, he will still be able to continue playing the same world he started on his PlayStation 4, and of course his Xbox friends will always be able to join him.

Another way you could know either versions are not Java Edition is that Java Edition has never been released for any platforms besides the PC. So if you every want to know which version of Minecraft you're playing, just ask these questions:

Is it a version for Minecraft to play on a PC (Windows, Mac or Linux)?
    No. You're playing Bedrock Edition.
    Yes. Does it say Java Edition on the cover or in the title?
        No. You're playing Bedrock Edition.
        Yes. You're playing Java Edition.

Note that the box being different doesn't make a difference for what you're getting. Updates to Minecraft have always been free, so either version of the game will give you the latest version of Minecraft, although you might need to run an update before being able to play it.

Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Images: Monstera, Tatiana Syrikova, Karolina Grabowska, Skylar Kang