'Minecraft: Education Edition' Is Available On Chromebooks

Ahead of a new school year that may see students not step foot in a physical classroom, Microsoft is bringing Minecraft: Education Edition to Chromebooks.

The Chrome OS release of Minecraft: Education Edition will allow cross-platform play between Windows, iPad and Mac versions of the game, so students will have the chance to collaborate and socialize on projects no matter what device they're playing on. Microsoft is also updating the program to add 11 new STEM lessons as well as an interactive Minecraft world to teach students about pollination and bees. A better library of lesson plans and the ability to track learning abilities are also part of the update as well.

The company says Chrome OS, iPad and Windows devices will install the update automatically. Mac users will need to download the update manually. Schools that have Minecraft: Education Edition installed in their classrooms won't have to alter their subscription. The company will include the Chrome OS version of Microsoft 365 Education A3 and A5 licenses.

Minecraft Education Edition is available since 2016. It's not surprising that it's only being made available to Chromebooks this year. Google's computing platform is the most popular one for education.  Minecraft As of the year 2019 Google reported that there were 30 million Chromebooks being used by schools across the world. Chromebooks were responsible for 60 percent of all laptops and tablets purchased in the US for K-12 classrooms in 2018. What's also interesting about this update is that it gives Chrome OS users an official way to install Minecraft without having to sideload the game onto their device.