Is Minecraft on Steam? Over a decade on from its original release and following the success of A Minecraft Movie, you'd be forgiven for wondering if Minecraft has ever been added to the most popular PC game platform. Spinoffs Minecraft Legends and Minecraft Dungeons are available on Steam, so it makes sense for the original game that spawned them to share the same platform, right?
Here, we answer the question of whether sandbox game of a generation.
Is Minecraft on Steam?
No, Minecraft is not available to buy or on Steam. Instead, the digital can be purchased directly from Mojang.net, while codes can be bought from other videogame storefronts.
On PC, Minecraft uses its own dedicated launcher, giving you access to Java Edition, Bedrock Edition, Minecraft Dungeons, and Minecraft Legends all in one place. If you have a Game subscription, you also have access to all four games.
Java Edition is the original version of Minecraft, while Bedrock Edition is the console, mobile phone, and Windows version of the game. Only Java Edition can be played on Mac or Linux. While both games now have almost complete parity, there are still some differences, and the two will never fully be rolled into one game. Check out our dedicated Minecraft Java and Bedrock guide to learn more about the differences between the two games.
How to add Minecraft to Steam
Many owned games can be added to your Steam library with the Valve platform's 'non-Steam game' feature. The Minecraft Launcher is one of those games, but unfortunately isn't compatible with any Steam interactions.
You won't be able to see your playtime or enable Steam Overlay, and your friends won't see the game on your profile. The only benefit of adding Minecraft to Steam is the ability to open the Minecraft launcher from your Steam library.
To add Minecraft to your Steam library:
- Click the 'Add a Game' button in the bottom left-hand corner of the Steam app.
- Select 'Add a Non-Steam Game'.
- Click 'Browse' and find the location of the Minecraft launcher.
- Instead of selecting 'Minecraft', choose 'gamelaunchhelp', and hit 'Open'.
- Hit 'Add Selected Programs' in the Steam window, and gamelaunchhelp now appears in your library. You can rename this to 'Minecraft' if you wish.
- Clicking 'Play' on 'gamelaunchhelp' in your library now opens the Minecraft Launcher via Steam.
If you aren't sure where the Minecraft Launcher is located on your PC, follow these steps to find it:
- Locate the Minecraft launcher on your PC.
- Open the Minecraft Launcher.
- Launch Task Manager (Ctrl + Alt + Del).
- Click 'More details', then select the 'Processes' tab.
- Right-click on any tab at the top and check the 'Command Line' column.
- Find Minecraft Launcher in the list, right-click on the file location, and click 'Open File Location'.
- You can now see the file location of the Minecraft Launcher.
How to buy Minecraft
Among the easiest ways to purchase Minecraft is directly from Microsoft using the Microsoft Store on Windows, or from Minecraft.net. Take a look at the current price for Minecraft on Amazon US and Minecraft on Amazon UK. Oh, and if you wanted to buy it for Android, here's a link to get a code.
You can also take a look at our full guide on how to Minecraft if you want to see your other options, or if you've already purchased the iconic game but need to re it.
Now you know that you can add Minecraft to your Steam library, it's up to you whether you need to, but we wouldn't recommend holding your breath for the Minecraft system requirements to make sure you can run it on your PC.