How to change to java edition minecraft

As of late 2021 ANY java version that is not officially used with that version will NOT work, there is currently no workaround.

Índice Show

What is Java?[]
Why update?[]
Where to download[]
Other VMs[]
How to update[]
Known issues[]
References[]
External links[]
Creating a New Installation
Managing Installations
Open Directory
More Options
Changing Versions
Helpful Links

Updating Java is important to do as a Minecraft player, as some technical bugs may be fixed only by updating Java.

As of Minecraft Java Edition 1.18, the Minecraft launcher is bundled with Java version 17.0.3. It is possible to change the used Java version in the profile options menu.

What is Java?[]

Java is a programming language and computing platform. Unlike many other languages, Java does not run directly on the hardware, but in a virtual machine, called the JVM (Java Virtual Machine).[1] Minecraft is written in Java, and uses it for game logic, rendering, and networking.

As of May 7, 2022, the latest stable Java versions are 1.8.0_333 (Oracle JDK) / 1.8.0_332 (OpenJDK) (Long-Term Support or LTS), 11.0.15 (LTS), 17.0.3 (LTS) and 18.0.1 (Short-Term Support or STS), while the latest development build is version 19 early-access build 21.

If you use a custom JVM, you should notice that the official launcher only allow the custom JVM with the same primary Java version as the minimum required Java version to launch the game.[2]

Why update?[]

The latest versions of Java contain important enhancements to help improve performance, stability and security of the Java applications that run on your machine. Installing the latest Java update ensures that Minecraft continues to run safely and efficiently.

Where to download[]

See also: Wikipedia:OpenJDK § OpenJDK builds

You can get Java either from Oracle or from someone who builds OpenJDK. For the purpose of Minecraft they are essentially the same, but Oracle's "OTN" version (Oracle JDK uses "Oracle No-Fee Terms and Conditions" as of Java 17 LTS) requires a PAID license for commercial and production purposes. If you make money from streaming Minecraft or running a Minecraft server (even non-profit), you MUST use OpenJDK unless you want to figure out how to pay.

Adoptium OpenJDK (Continuation of AdoptOpenJDK)(stable builds only, check github.com/adoptium for development builds)
AdoptOpenJDK (stable and development builds)(From July 2021 no new JDKs will be produced. All production of further builds has been moved to adoptium.net)
Zulu OpenJDK (recommended) (stable and development builds)
Oracle OpenJDK (stable and development builds) - zip packages only (no installer)
Oracle JRE (NOT recommended unless you want to pay) (stable "OTN" builds)

You will see that Java is divided into LTS (long-term support) like 11 and STS (short-term support) version numbers like 16. An LTS version will be given updates for longer, so people tend to use them as a stable standard of "modern, but not too new" Java.

Other VMs[]

With sources like AdoptOpenJDK you might see a choice between HotSpot VM and something else. The VM is what actually executes the Java code, and HotSpot is the one written by Oracle and used in "official" releases. Some other VMs include:

IBM's OpenJ9, optimized for low memory and fast startup
Oracle's GraalVM, also optimized for low memory and fast startup

GraalVM is usually included in HotSpot in the form of "JVMCI" in JDKs 10 - 16.[7][8] OpenJ9 takes a separate download.

Notes[]

The licensing change in January 2019 (8u211) is partially why Minecraft's official launcher is stuck at 8u51, instead of a newer Java 8 update.
Java 9 to Java 16 (except Java 11) are no longer supported by Oracle: they no longer receive public security updates,[9] and are to be regarded as insecure. Oracle has removed them from its download page but the builds are still available in the Java Archive. Oracle does not recommend using builds from the Java Archive.[10]
- Java 13, 15 is supported by source code, provides support in Azul Zulu.

How to update[]

When you install Java, go to your launcher, edit or create an installation, and in the Java Executable box, type C:\Program Files\Java\jvm-[version]\bin\javaw.exe (Windows) or: /usr/lib/jvm/(java version)/bin/java (Linux) or: /usr/bin/java (macOS). The exact value depends on where your java is installed.

You must remove -XX:+CMSIncrementalMode from your JVM Arguments. This option is meaningless for Java 9 and newer, and will cause a launch failure if you keep it there.

Notes[]

Because the official launcher has Java integrated, you won't need to download and install the Java unless you are using third-party launchers instead.
If your computer runs a 64-bit operating system, it's recommended to install the 64-bit Java for better performance.
Administrator privileges are required when installing on some systems.

Known issues[]

In Java 11 or newer, a very rare crash may occur in world generation code (MC-149777). A fabric mod called Voyager exists to fix this issue.[6] If you are using fabric API 0.26.2 or above, this mod is not needed as the fix is included. This bug was fixed in 1.17 snapshot 21w20a and hence does not exist from 1.17+.[11]
Do not upgrade if you are using Intel HD2xxx/3xxx graphics on Windows 10, as the driver is bugged. Java 8 uses a slower rendering method that makes it work, and that is mainly why Mojang stuck to this old version.[6] Funnily enough, the current minimum GPU requirement for Minecraft appears to be Intel HD4xxx graphics, which would make this fix from Mojang seem obsolete as Java 8u211 could potentially offer more stability if they implemented it.

References[]

External links[]

Last modified on Jul 26, 2022 in General

By Dalton Whalen

Overview

As more and more Minecraft versions are released, the pool of potential server versions will only grow. While many server owners will aim to run the latest version, there are exceptions to this that will often occur. Running mods, waiting for plugin updates, or simply desiring an older experience are all valid reasons for running different server versions. This can cause confusion at times, as the Minecraft Java Edition launcher will always provide the latest release by default, leading to connection errors on older versions. Thankfully, this is easily solved with the Installations feature on the launcher, allowing players to create and edit Minecraft installations with whichever version they prefer. Whether it’s to run Minecraft Forge or just for a different experience, changing the version is very easy. To help you get started, we have created this Apex Hosting tutorial to guide you through the necessary steps.

Creating a New Installation

Open the Minecraft Java Edition launcher.
At the top of the application, navigate to Installations.
Following this, press New Installation.
Select an icon and name for the installation.
Open the Version dropdown and select the desired version.
Once all settings have been selected, press Create.

After this, you will be returned to the Installations tab where you can view all existing versions, including your newly created one. If you wish to get started immediately, hover over your installation and press Play.

Managing Installations

In some cases, you may wish to manage or edit installations later on, which is also available. When on the Installations page, there will be several options available for you to choose from.

Near the top of the page will be the search bar and the sort function. This will allow you to either find the desired installation by text or change the sorting order.

Next to these search features are the version filters. Here you can choose which versions will appear in the list, allowing you to easily hide unnecessary installations during your search.

Open Directory

When hovering over a version, you may notice various buttons available for use. One of these buttons is the “Open Directory” function. By pressing this, it will immediately open a file explorer to the installation files. This is helpful when installing mods or if you use a different installation path for some versions.

More Options

Another button available in the hover menu will allow you to either edit, duplicate, or delete a version. Editing will allow you to change the profile similar to creating a new one, duplicate will clone the profile, and deleting will remove it altogether. Only player-created installations can be deleted, so default versions such as the Latest Release will always be present.

Changing Versions

After creating a new installation, it can also be found in the default Play page within the launcher. To change the version, simply open the dropdown menu to the left of the Play button, then select your new version from there. When you are ready, press Play to install any necessary files and begin the game.

Conclusion

When there are so many server versions to choose from, understanding how to match that version is of the utmost importance. Some servers may use ViaVersion, which allows players to join from a variety of different game versions. When this is not available, players can only join a server when they are running the exact same version on their own device. When making new installations, we recommend giving them a unique or memorable name, allowing you to easily distinguish one from the others. In addition to the basic settings, you can do even more with an installation, such as allocating more ram, adjusting the resolution and more. With this knowledge in your arsenal, you are ready to explore a variety of Minecraft versions and jump right into the action.