Minecraft Bedrock Beta for Windows will now have its own standalone app, Minecraft Preview, free for Minecraft owners and XGP subscribers. Starting today (March 23), users can download the Minecraft preview from the Xbox Store or through the Xbox app for Windows. As long as the user’s account has a Minecraft Bedrock Edition or XGP subscription, they will get the app directly.
With the 1.19 “Wild” update coming to Minecraft later this year, developer Mojang will let Minecraft Bedrock players continue to experiment with new features and new creatures, including frogs and mangroves.
Minecraft Preview will be a completely separate application from Bedrock Edition. As a result, save games, market items, and achievement awards are not available, nor are multiplayer features available.
Previously, Bedrock Edition players had to load up the Xbox Insider Hub and opt-in to the Minecraft Beta Program in order to switch a Bedrock Edition game to beta testing.
Switching back and forth is cumbersome and sometimes requires redownloading the entire game. Unlike Java Edition, Bedrock Edition doesn’t allow multiple versions to be installed, so the preview standalone app rollout simplifies the process.
In the FAQ, Mojang stated that the Minecraft preview is currently available for PC, Xbox, iOS, and is “working on bringing the Minecraft preview to other platforms.” At the same time, Mojang explained that currently PC and Xbox players can still access the Minecraft beta test version, as well as the Minecraft preview version standalone app. The app isn’t currently available on the new Universal Launcher on PC, but an update will roll out later this year.