Minecraft on Xbox one this Week PS4 soon maybe Sooner Update

Not satisfied with mere bajillions, Minecraft starts racking up more sales this week when it goes live as a download game for Xbox One - and perhaps PS4 too. Mojang's sandbox video game is scheduled to be released on Friday, September 5. 360 owners will be able to upgrade to the Xbox One for $5/PS4. Minecraft blog Microsoft notes that this upgrade applies regardless of whether you own a disc or a download copy. The full price version costs $20/PS16.

Although the PS4 release date isn't set however, Mojang's Daniel Kaplan tweeted saying that "Sony fans can expect an exciting Minecraft surprise soon...or maybe sooner?" The teaser came in response to an PlayStation France tweet that claimed the PS4 version of Minecraft will be released today, although no other Sony channels have confirmed this. When someone can dig out a date for a release for the PS4 version, we'll let you know.

Update This morning: The PlayStation 4 version Minecraft seems to have launched in Europe. It's not known yet when the game will be available in North America or other regions. [Image: 4J Studios]

It is unlikely that the Vita version will be available this week. 4J Studios, the porting team, stated in the last week that it has "more work" to finish before sending Vita builds to Sony for certification.

The latest versions of Minecraft feature worlds up to 36 times bigger than their predecessors from the previous generation, as well as longer draw distances. Also, PS3 and Xbox 360 owners can import their Minecraft worlds into the PS4 and Xbox One versions respectively.

This announcement coincides with the fact that Mojang released Minecraft1.8 on PC. It's the update that's been in development for the longest at the Swedish studio at 300 days. Gaming blog So it's not surprising that it's a major deal, with numerous changes you can browse through here. Highlights include new Guardian and Endermite mobs balanced by the introduction of d'awww rabbits. Oh, and killer bunnies who aren't as d'awww, but still a bit dawww. [Image: Mojang]