Microsoft releases Minecraft Education Edition for Chromebooks
special report
Microsoft is making Minecraft: Education Edition available for Chromebooks as of today, August 10. Microsoft also is simultaneously updating the education edition of Minecraft for Windows, Mac and iPads for remote and hybrid learning support, officials said today.
Microsoft officials said Chromebook, iPad and Windows users will automatically be upgraded to the latest version of Minecraft: Education Edition. Mac users will need to install the updated version manually.
The Chromebook edition, according to Microsoft, offers the same set of features as the other versions, including multiplayer with other platforms. Educators also have the option of deploying Minecraft to a fleet of managed Chrome devices. Currently, Minecraft: Education Edition requires a Microsoft account to log in, but officials said they are working on enabling users to log in with a Google account, as well "in the near future."
Schools with Microsoft 365 for Education (A3 or A5) already have access to Minecraft: Education Edition. The Education Edition is licensed via yearly subscriptions which can be purchased through the Microsoft Store for Education via volume licensing agreements and/or through partners.
In 2016, Microsoft acquired MinecraftEdu from Teacher Gaming LLC. Officials said at that time they planned to build Minecraft Education Edition, based on MinecraftEdu. Bringing Minecraft: Eduction Edition to Chromebooks has been a long-standing request by educators.