How to play multiplayer games on Minecraft online servers?
Minecraft is known to have no limits to the imagination, and it’s no surprise that many people want to roam the sandbox world and implement construction projects with friends and like-minded people. But how do you play together? After all, many options can be confusing at first glance. Don’t worry, and you can count on us! In this guide, we explain how to stack blocks together. The most obvious way to connect with friends is through a server. You can join one of the many public servers or create your private server for yourself and your friends.
Join a public server
Java version:
Find Servers: The server list lets you search for existing game worlds. Here you will find the number of players and a brief description of the game world, i.e., rules, and scenarios, allowing you to evaluate better whether the server is suitable for you and your friends. Some points of contact are, for example, Serverliste.net or Minecraft-Serverlist.
Join the server:
Copy the IP address of the desired server (you can find it on the corresponding website).
Launch Minecraft and click Multiplayer from the main menu. Now select »Add Server« and enter the server address in the field. Name your server and click Finish.
The server now appears in your server overview. Double-clicking on the server name or clicking on the server and »Join Server« will take you to the public server.
Bedrock Edition:
Finding Servers: While Bedrock Edition’s public server selection is not as extensive as Java Edition, many server lists exist. For example, check out Minecraft. Buzz/bedrock or Minecraft pocket-servers.com.
Join the server:
Start Bedrock Edition Minecraft and select the Servers tab.
Here you can now choose from several public servers or add your own. Scroll down and click on Add Server.
Now enter the IP address and port of the public server you want to join. All information can usually be found on a website with a list of servers.
The new server should now appear in your server list, and you can quickly join the world.
Create a private server
You can also create your server if you don’t want to join an existing community. It doesn’t even cost you any money.
Play on Minecraft Realms
Realms are private servers that are not run through a third party but run directly through Minecraft. Here you should note that there is no cross-play – Java players cannot play on the same server as Bedrock players. So make sure you and your friends are using the same version.
Unlike many third-party providers, creating a realm is not free. Instead, you pay a monthly fee to rent a server. On the Minecraft website, you can find an overview of Java Edition and Bedrock Edition payment modes.
Java version:
Create a realm:
First, you need an active subscription to Minecraft Realms.
Now launch the Java version of Minecraft and click on Minecraft Realms in the main menu.
Select Add Realm, give the realm a name and add a short description. After that, you can decide whether you want to create a new world or use an existing one.
After creating a realm, all you have to do is invite your friends (up to 10 players). Click on settings (wrench) in the game menu to do this. Under the »Players« menu item, you can enter your friends’ usernames and invite them.
Join a field:
To join an existing realm, you need an invitation from a host. Once someone adds you to their domain, you automatically get this information.
You must launch Minecraft and click “Minecraft Realms” in the main menu to accept this invitation.
An invitation with an envelope icon should appear here. Click on them to accept them and enter the world.
Bedrock Edition:
Create a realm:
Start Minecraft in Bedrock Edition, select the Worlds tab, and click Create New World.
Click Create New World again, and then click Create on Realm Server.
For Bedrock Edition, you can choose the size of your realm. You can choose between 2 and 10 players (excluding yourself).
To create a realm, you must complete a subscription membership. A regular Realms membership is for you and two other players, while a Realms Plus membership is for you and ten different players.
Join a field:
To join the Realm of Bedrock Edition, you need code provided by the server creator. However, you only need the letters and characters after realms.gg/.
Launch Minecraft and select the Friends tab. This should show you the fields you can join.
Choose a realm, enter the code and join the world.
How to play Minecraft on a LAN
The easiest way to play Minecraft with friends is to use local multiplayer. You have to be close to each other to do this.
Working with the Java version of LAN
Find worlds: If you share the same IP address with a friend, Minecraft will automatically detect and display worlds from your local network. To do this, click on »Multiplayer« in the main menu. You can find these words in your server list.
Open a world for LAN: create a new world or load an existing world. Now click on “Open for LAN” in the game menu. This makes the world available for local multiplayer.
Bedrock Edition LAN Co-op
In Bedrock Edition, all worlds are open to the LAN by default. Available worlds are automatically displayed in your server list, and you can join them directly. This list is in the main menu under the »Server« tab.
So you play Minecraft split-screen on your console
For local split-screen on consoles, you need Bedrock Edition of Minecraft and a screen with a minimum resolution of 720p.
Create a new world or choose an existing one. Now go to settings and uncheck the “Multiplayer” option under the “Multiplayer” item.
Player 2 must now press the controller’s start button – which, of course, should be connected to the console. The game should now recognize that you play cooperatively and share the screen.
Repeat this process for players 3 and 4 if desired.
As you can see, many paths lead to the goal. Playing Minecraft with your friends is not as difficult as it might seem. We hope our guide will help you finally be able to start your joint construction project.