'Minecraft: Education Edition' Is Available On Chromebooks

Ahead of a new school year that may have students not stepping into a physical classroom, Microsoft is bringing Minecraft: Education Edition to Chromebooks.

Chrome OS Minecraft: Education Edition will allow cross-platform play on Windows, iPad, and Mac versions. Students can socialize and collaborate on projects regardless of their device. Microsoft is updating the program to include 11 new STEM lessons, and the Minecraft world that teaches students all about pollination as well as bees. A better library of lesson plans and learned abilities that are tagged are part of the update, too.

According to the company, Chrome OS, iPad and Windows devices will automatically install the update. Mac users will have to manually download the update. Schools that have already used Minecraft: Education Edition in their classrooms won't need to change their subscription; the company will include the Chrome OS version to its Microsoft 365 for Education A3 and A5 licenses.

Minecraft: Education Edition is in beta since 2016, so it's surprising to learn that it's only being released to Chromebooks this year. In extremecraft , Google's computing platform is the dominant one in the education market. According to the company, there were over 30 million Chromebooks being used in schools across the globe in 2019. Chromebooks made up 60 percent of all laptops and tablets purchased in the US for K-12 classrooms in 2018. This release also provides Chrome OS users an official method to install Minecraft without having to download the game onto their device.