Android, iOS, and Windows Players of Minecraft Can Game Together

It's almost been a year since Microsoft bought Minecraft studio Mojang. Since then, the Redmond-based company has been steadily working on the massive open world hit.

On Tuesday, it announced that the Windows 10 and Pocket Editions of the game have been updated for cross-platform multiplayer support. What this means is if you're playing the game on Android, iOS, Windows Phone, or Windows 10 PC, you can play the game with up to five of your friends if they're on any of the aforementioned platforms. Also, those playing it on mobile devices will finally be able to sprint across the world, enjoy enhanced weather effects, and create new items.

(Also see: Minecraft Now Has Competition With Lego Worlds)

So far, Microsoft has not said if the original PC version prior to the Windows 10 edition or the console versions (the game is on PS3, PS4, PS Vita, Xbox 360, and Xbox One) will be able to indulge in cross-platform play, though it's safe to guess this will not be the case.

Microsoft acquiring Mojang was seen as a surprise for many. However unlike its previous acquisitions such as that of Bungie, there haven't been any massive changes to the way Minecraft operates on non-Microsoft platforms considering it could very well turn the game into a Windows, Windows Phone, and Xbox One exclusive. Rather we're seeing an approach akin to how it handles its Office productivity suite, allowing it to flourish outside Microsoft's own ecosystem, never a bad thing for consumers. But for how long however, remains to be seen.