- New cushion item lets players sit down for the first time, with 16 color variants.
- Straw beds allow one-time sleep without setting spawn point, found in abandoned camps.
- Abandoned camps now generate in Pale Garden and Flower Forest biomes.
- A fan-made Game Boy Color port of Minecraft runs in 3D, while Bloomberg reports Minecraft profits fund other Xbox games.
After nearly two decades, Minecraft players can finally do something that seems almost trivial: sit down. The upcoming update, which Mojang has been detailing through preview builds, introduces a cushion item that allows characters to rest their blocky legs. But that’s just one of several additions coming to the sandbox game, alongside straw beds, a new type of camp, and biome tweaks. Meanwhile, the Minecraft community is buzzing about a fan-made port that brings the game to the Game Boy Color, and a Bloomberg report has shed light on how the franchise’s profits are being used within Xbox.
The cushion and straw bed are part of a broader set of features that aim to enhance the survival and exploration experience. Players have long requested the ability to sit without resorting to mods or minecarts, and Mojang has finally delivered. The update also includes abandoned camps that generate in specific biomes, offering new loot and structures. Outside the game itself, the financial impact of Minecraft continues to grow, with reports indicating its earnings help fund other titles in the Xbox portfolio.
New Furniture and Gameplay Additions
The cushion is a placeable block that players can interact with to sit on. It comes in 16 different color variants, crafted using three wool slabs of the same color. One notable limitation is that cushions currently do not generate in abandoned camps – they are only available through the creative inventory or crafting. The cushion sits on any flat surface, aligns horizontally to the grid, and breaks if the supporting block is removed. It has no collision, meaning it can overlap with other objects except other cushions.
Alongside the cushion, Mojang is adding the straw bed. This new bed type allows players to sleep through the night without resetting their spawn point. However, it can only be used once and is destroyed after use. Straw beds cannot be used in the Nether or The End – attempting to sleep there will also destroy them. They are crafted from three hay bales, yielding four straw beds. These beds can be found in the newly updated abandoned camps, which now generate in the Pale Garden and Flower Forest biomes.
The update also brings changes to the Dappled Forest biome, including updated fog settings and new textures for poplar leaves. Sound effects for poplar leaf blocks have been updated, and custom sound events for red shrubs and poplar leaves have been added. Graphical improvements include visual overhaul elements with opaque versions of poplar leaves to fix a black background issue, and hinges added to the poplar door icon. Additionally, missing recipes for wool stairs and wool slabs have been added.
Abandoned Camps and Biome Changes
Abandoned camps are receiving a significant overhaul. They now generate in the Pale Garden and Flower Forest biomes, and straw beds can be found within them. The camps have been updated to place procedural trees, and a fix has been applied to wrong potion names in their loot tables. This makes exploring these biomes more rewarding, as players can find useful items and a place to rest – albeit temporarily with the straw bed.
Other biome-related changes include adjustments to the Dappled Forest’s fog settings to match other forest biomes, and updated textures for orange, red, and yellow poplar leaves. Mojang also fixed a rendering issue with vibrant visuals that caused some items and text to be invisible on certain Android GPUs. The update includes numerous bug fixes, such as resolving a crash when spawning multiple iron golems, fixing the clone command for partial beds, and addressing issues with the /fill command.
Accessibility improvements have been made, including a focus indicator on the “More options” button that now uses an underline instead of relying solely on color. Several user interface bugs were squashed, such as text formatting codes in resource pack names carrying over into toast notifications, and missing preview images for the Desert flatworld preset. The update also brings technical changes for creators, including new APIs and improvements to the editor tools.
Minecraft Beyond the Game: Ports and Business
In a remarkable feat of engineering, YouTuber Game of Tobi has managed to get Minecraft running on the Game Boy Color. The port, while not the full game, features a 3D world where players can walk around, break and place blocks. The game runs on the original Game Boy as well, albeit at half speed and in black and white. Textures are disabled by default to maintain performance. The port includes a Nether dimension, though with limited interactivity. Controls are a bit awkward due to the hardware’s limitations – the D-pad moves the character, while holding another button allows looking around, making simultaneous movement and looking impossible. The .gbc file is available for free via Game of Tobi’s Patreon, requiring a flash card to play on original hardware.
On the business side, a Bloomberg report has revealed that Minecraft’s profits have been used to fund other games in the Xbox software portfolio. Minecraft is one of the most profitable first-party titles for Xbox, with 300 million copies sold, making it the second best-selling game of all time. During the FTC v Microsoft trial, Xbox CFO Tim Stuart stated that Minecraft is “one of the most profitable, if not the most profitable first-party game.” The report suggests that proceeds from Minecraft helped create other titles for Game Pass, highlighting the game’s role as a financial engine within the company. This practice of reallocating profits across studios is not uncommon in subscription-based models, where certain games carry more weight in driving engagement and revenue.
From the simple joy of sitting on a cushion to the technical wizardry of a Game Boy Color port, Minecraft continues to evolve in unexpected ways. The latest update brings long-requested features like straw beds and abandoned camps, while the community pushes the boundaries of what the game can run on. Meanwhile, the franchise’s financial clout remains a cornerstone of Xbox’s strategy, funding other projects and ensuring its legacy endures. Whether you’re exploring new biomes, tinkering with a retro port, or just enjoying the ability to finally sit down, there’s plenty to keep players engaged.
