Minecraft legacy console editions
From 2012 to 2017, the sandbox video game Minecraft was ported by 4J Studios to multiple seventh and eighth generation video game consoles. These ports have become retroactively known as "legacy console editions". These platforms include, in order of release: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, and Nintendo Switch.
These console versions have multiple differences exclusive to them in comparison to other editions of the game. Rather than the virtually infinite worlds available on other platforms, worlds on the legacy console editions are capped out at a few thousand blocks. Exclusive content to these versions includes dedicated tutorial worlds, unique multiplayer modes (known as "minigames"), and downloadable content. The Xbox 360 Edition was the first time Minecraft was released physically.
Starting in 2017, the legacy console editions were gradually replaced by the game's Bedrock Edition on eighth generation consoles, with Xbox One Edition being the first to be replaced, followed shortly after by Nintendo Switch Edition. The versions on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, and Wii U stopped receiving content updates in late 2018; Bedrock Edition did not arrive on those consoles. PlayStation 4 Edition received prolonged support due to issues with bringing Bedrock Edition to the platform, with Sony refusing to allow cross-platform play until 2019.
The final update that most of the ports received was equivalent to Java Edition version 1.13; Xbox One Edition and Nintendo Switch Edition only received 1.12, while PlayStation 4 got 1.14. Overall, the legacy console editions were received positively by video game journalists. Compared to Java edition, the early editions were criticized for their small world size and lack of features. In 2026, the full source code for earlier versions of the legacy console editions leaked online.