Minecraft Visuals Update: A Vibrant Overhaul for Compatible Devices

Visual appeal was never the cornerstone of Minecraft's design. With its boundless sandbox world and limitless customization, Mojang's iconic blocky aesthetic was always secondary to creative freedom.

Today, that changes with the long-awaited launch of the Vibrant Visuals update for PC and a variety of compatible consoles and smartphones. However, not every platform will benefit, and the classic Minecraft: Java Edition will also miss out.

Nevertheless, if you’re playing the primary Minecraft: Bedrock Edition on PC, PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, or select Android and iOS devices, Vibrant Visuals is now available as part of the broader Chase the Skies update.

Chase the Skies introduces rideable Happy Ghasts to the overworld, offering a cheerful alternative to their hostile Nether counterparts that shoot fireballs. You can now also link camels together with chains to form resource-carrying caravans and locate friends more quickly using the Player Locator HUD bar.

For those playing on older consoles like PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, or on older Android phones, you’ll need to manually enable the Vibrant Visuals option in the video settings menu. Mojang cautions that "performance may be affected on these devices."

On PC or smartphone, ensure your device meets these technical requirements:

• Android: Adreno 640, Mali-G68, Mali-G77, or Xclipse 530 or higher

• iOS: A12 or M1 or higher

• PC: Running Minecraft on DX12

Vibrant Visuals does not currently support splitscreen multiplayer, custom Worlds, or Texture Packs.

What about Nintendo Switch — or a potential Switch 2? Today’s Vibrant Visuals announcement makes no reference to Nintendo's platforms, leaving compatibility unclear for their users.

On a positive note, Minecraft is now officially optimized for Xbox Series X/S, arriving about five years after Microsoft’s current-generation consoles debuted.

Vibrant Visuals fulfills Microsoft's longstanding promise to deliver a substantial graphics enhancement for Minecraft, an initiative that began in 2017 with a stunning trailer for the since-canceled Super Duper Graphics Pack. At the time, Mojang announced the upgrade for Xbox One and "Project Scorpio," which became the Xbox One X. Now, a comparable visual overhaul is finally here.