Minecraft's appeal was never rooted in cutting-edge graphics. Mojang's iconic blocky aesthetic took a backseat to the game's boundless sandbox world and limitless creative freedom.
That changes today with the long-awaited launch of the Vibrant Visuals update for PC and a selection of compatible consoles and smartphones. Notably, not every platform will receive this enhancement, and the classic Minecraft: Java Edition will also miss out.
If you play the primary Minecraft: Bedrock Edition on PC, PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, or specific Android and iOS devices, Vibrant Visuals is available now as part of the broader Chase the Skies update.
The Chase the Skies update introduces ridable Happy Ghasts to the overworld, offering a friendlier alternative to their fireball-spitting Nether counterparts. New features also include chaining camels together to form resource caravans and a Player Locator HUD bar for easier friend tracking.
Players on older hardware like PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or older Android phones must manually enable the Vibrant Visuals option in the video settings menu. Mojang cautions that this may impact performance on these devices.
The required technical specifications for PC and smartphone are:
• Android: Adreno 640, Mali-G68, Mali-G77, or Xclipse 530 or higher
• iOS: A12 or M1 chip or higher
• PC: Minecraft must be running on DX12
Vibrant Visuals does not currently support splitscreen multiplayer, custom Worlds, or Texture Packs.
The update's announcement blog made no mention of Nintendo Switch or the rumored Switch 2, leaving compatibility with Nintendo platforms unclear.
On a positive note, Minecraft is now officially optimized for Xbox Series X/S, a milestone arriving roughly five years into the current console generation.
Vibrant Visuals fulfills a longstanding promise from Microsoft to deliver a significant graphical overhaul for Minecraft. This initiative was first hinted at in 2017 with a trailer for the ultimately canceled Super Duper Graphics Pack, originally slated for Xbox One and "Project Scorpio" (the future Xbox One X).
