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This project is in early development. Some features may be incomplete or unstable.

Platform Support

Minecraft Community Edition currently supports the following platforms:

Windows 64-bit

Primary development platform with full feature support

Xbox 360

Legacy console platform with original features

PlayStation 3

SPU-optimized rendering and performance

PS Vita

Handheld gaming with touch controls

Xbox One (Durango)

Next-gen console with enhanced graphics

PlayStation 4 (Orbis)

Modern x64 architecture with advanced features

Getting Started

1

Clone the Repository

Clone the Minecraft Community Edition repository to your local machine:
git clone https://github.com/Minecraft-Community-Edition/client.git
cd client
2

Install Prerequisites

For Windows development, you’ll need:
  • Visual Studio 2012 or later with C++ tools
  • Windows SDK
  • DirectX SDK (June 2010)
  • Platform-specific SDKs (for console development)
See the Building from Source guide for detailed prerequisites.
3

Open the Solution

Open MinecraftConsoles.sln in Visual Studio:
# Windows
start MinecraftConsoles.sln
The solution contains two main projects:
  • Minecraft.World - Core game engine
  • Minecraft.Client - Client-side rendering and UI
4

Select Build Configuration

Choose your target platform and configuration:
  • Windows64 - Windows 64-bit build
  • Debug - Development build with debugging symbols
  • Release - Optimized production build
For first-time setup, use Debug|Windows64 configuration.
5

Build the Project

Build the solution:
  • Press F7 or select Build > Build Solution
  • Wait for the build to complete (may take several minutes)
  • Check the Output window for any errors
6

Run the Client

Launch the client:
  • Press F5 to run with debugging
  • Or press Ctrl+F5 to run without debugging
The client will start and create a default world on first launch.

Controls

Keyboard and Mouse

Keyboard and mouse support was contributed by “not pies” (thank you!).
ActionKey/Button
Move ForwardW
Move BackwardS
Strafe LeftA
Strafe RightD
JumpSpace
SneakLeft Shift
SprintDouble-tap W or Left Ctrl
Attack/MineLeft Mouse Button
Use/PlaceRight Mouse Button
Drop ItemQ
InventoryE
Pause MenuEscape
ChatT
Look AroundMouse Movement

Controller

ActionButton
MoveLeft Stick
LookRight Stick
JumpA (Xbox) / X (PlayStation)
SneakLeft Stick Click
Attack/MineRight Trigger
Use/PlaceLeft Trigger
InventoryY (Xbox) / Triangle (PlayStation)
Drop ItemB (Xbox) / Circle (PlayStation)
Pause MenuStart

Troubleshooting

Install the DirectX SDK (June 2010) from Microsoft. Make sure the environment variables are set correctly.
Ensure all required DLLs are in the output directory:
  • mss64.dll - Miles Sound System
  • iggy_w64.dll - Iggy UI library
  • Platform-specific libraries
Check the following:
  • Run as Administrator (Windows)
  • Verify graphics drivers are up to date
  • Check the Output window for error messages
  • Ensure you’re using the Debug configuration for troubleshooting
Try these optimizations:
  • Use Release configuration instead of Debug
  • Lower render distance in options
  • Disable fancy graphics
  • Close other applications

Next Steps

Build from Source

Learn about platform-specific build configurations

Architecture

Understand the codebase structure

Contributing

Contribute to the project

API Reference

Explore the core API

Getting Help

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love