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Original poster

Minecraft - best option/device

13 replies

Laquila · 23/12/2022 15:40

My kids (7 and 9) play Minecraft on our iPad, currently, but they've played on (old) Kindle Forest before, until they got too slow/clogged up for anything to be responsive.

i'm wondering whether it's worth investing in new Kindle 10s for them, so that a) they can play at the same time and b) we can use them for long journeys for films c) they can use stuff like the Stop Motion app for making little films etc.

Or is it better to maybe get them a laptop when they're a bit older so they can play the Java version with a keyboard, which I think you can sort of do more coding/more complicated commands on?

Or do I get them a second-hand console like a PlayStation or similar? Or a Switch? Gaaaah. Any advice gratefully received.

OP posts:
walkinthewoodstoday · 23/12/2022 15:53

Interested too. Is Minecraft free game?

MyBooksAndMyCats · 23/12/2022 15:57

Much better on the switch or an iPad.

Kindles are not powerful enough to run Minecraft, it's a massive game.

ditalini · 23/12/2022 16:01

I play the mobile version of Minecraft on my phone with ds2 on his bog standard cheap android tablet. As long as you're on the same wifi you can play together. Yes, ds2 needs to purge his tablet of rubbish games to free up memory from time to time but he's a sucker for various transport simulators that he plays for an hour and then discards without uninstalling.

I believe it's the same for the java version (ie if you're both on java and on the same network). We couldn't play it on the very rubbish laptop ds2 inherited from ds1 - too slow.

We also have it for ps3 and more than one person can play it on a split screen.

There are also paid for options for multi-play such as Minecraft Realms, but if they're both in the same house then the free LAN connection is good.

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Whyisitdarkalready · 23/12/2022 16:02

My dd is 9 and she has a version of minecraft on the switch and on the laptop. She almost always plays it on the laptop. You have more options for play if you have the keyboard. She can also then link to the Internet to change skins for free. I must admit it's a bit beyond me the fascination but she plays for hours!

RoseslnTheHospital · 23/12/2022 16:15

We all play Minecraft on Kindle 10 HD tabs in our house, no issues with running it at all. They're perfectly powerful enough for it. We also use Realms to play with friends/family across the internet, and play multiplayer at home on the same wifi.

Lonelycrab · 23/12/2022 17:05

I guess it depends on your budget but ds11 has it on both his computer (Mac) and an iPad. Far prefers the computer as it’s Java version not pocket edition which I think is on the iPad.

I believe the Java version is the more complete version as there are programming and mod options not available for pocket version. So I would say laptop/pc/Mac with the best spec possible, it doesn’t need tons of power to run well, but on a well spec’d machine it is properly rapid.

Lonelycrab · 23/12/2022 17:14

Interested too. Is Minecraft free game?

No, it’s about £20-25. But I think once you’ve bought it you can install it on multiple machines.

Got to say I think it’s a really good game that encourages computer literacy no end. My ds is an absolute demon to watch while using it and is incredibly creative with it.

Gracelynn · 23/12/2022 17:25

Our kids used to use their rasberry pie for a basic edition. Still do sometimes. But recently bought a second hand ps 4 about 200 pounds from a local second hand games shop. The can now play bed rock eddition also this allowed them to either together all four at onceplay with freinds or relatives online.

Girasoli · 23/12/2022 17:55

DC1 plays on my laptop, and is just starting to learn to code (nearly 7).

I think 7 and 9 is a good age for a first laptop, especially if they do computing at school or get a lot of their homework set that way.

Original poster
Laquila · 23/12/2022 19:24

This is all really interesting, thanks all!

I do like having two devices that they can play on at the same time - it just means there's that bit less to argue about if they don't have to take turns 🙄 that's the attraction of the Kindles really, although if I had the time and energy I'd put it into researching the best laptop for them.

Does anyone know whether they'd be able to play together, in a multi-player world, if one was on a laptop and one was on our iPad?

@RoseslnTheHospital have you ever played it on an older Kindle? We used to use the Kindle Fire 8 2017/18 versions and they were pretty rubbish - so slow! Just wondering how the 10 compares to those, and to the iPad, which is still fast even though it's at least 5yrs old.

OP posts:
ditalini · 23/12/2022 19:30

Laquila · 23/12/2022 19:24

This is all really interesting, thanks all!

I do like having two devices that they can play on at the same time - it just means there's that bit less to argue about if they don't have to take turns 🙄 that's the attraction of the Kindles really, although if I had the time and energy I'd put it into researching the best laptop for them.

Does anyone know whether they'd be able to play together, in a multi-player world, if one was on a laptop and one was on our iPad?

@RoseslnTheHospital have you ever played it on an older Kindle? We used to use the Kindle Fire 8 2017/18 versions and they were pretty rubbish - so slow! Just wondering how the 10 compares to those, and to the iPad, which is still fast even though it's at least 5yrs old.

No I don't think so - they are 2 different versions of Minecraft. I don't know if having a Realm would change that but I suspect not.

ditalini · 23/12/2022 19:32

So it looks like you can if you're using Minecraft for Windows 10 on the pc and Bedrock (mobile) on the other device - that's if you have a Realm, don't know if it's the same for connecting over wifi.

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