Mojang has revealed that the upcoming Boss Update for Minecraft will add Oculus Touch controller support to the Windows 10 version. The news broke at the 2016 Minecon 2016 convention in California over the weekend.
Support for the Oculus Rift originally rolled out on August 15, paving a new way for Minecraft players to imagine their creations. The launcher is available on the Oculus Store now, enabling Rift owners to view the Minecraft world up close and personal, or to sit back on a virtual couch and play the game on a virtual TV.
In addition to Oculus Touch controller support, the Boss Update will add the ability to use an Xbox Wireless controller with Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition and Minecraft: Gear VR Edition. This applies to the new Bluetooth-based controller that shipped alongside the Xbox One S console. Microsoft made a separate announcement stating that the controller is now compatible with controller-enabled games on the Samsung Gear VR headset, one of which will be Minecraft: Gear VR Edition.
The Xbox Wireless controller will be compatible with the Galaxy S7, Galaxy S7 Edge, Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 Edge+, Galaxy S6, and Galaxy S6 Edge. Controller-supported games that are on the way in the next several months include Herobound, Spirit Champion, Omega Agent, and End Space.
The upcoming Boss Update will also introduce Add-Ons to Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition and Minecraft: Pocket Edition. This feature will allow players to edit mobs, and do such things as swapping out textures, the models, and their behaviors. Mojang provides a few examples, such as chicken players riding an explosive pig. All components can be tweaked or swapped out by modifying text files that point in their direction.
“Using Add-Ons, you can change the rules, appearances, and mechanics of things in the game,” Mojang states. “Add-Ons can help you bring new gameplay ideas to life. They are the first step on our journey toward a fully customizable Minecraft.”
Add-Ons will work in a single-player game, in a multiplayer game with friends, and even on a Realm. To install an Add-On, gamers simply open Minecraft and click “play,” click on “edit world,” and then select the “Add-Ons” tab. There will be two samples to check out (Alien Invasion and Castle Siege) while the Add-Ons template will allow players to generate their own creations.
According to Mojang, the team will continue to generate Add-Ons over the next year to move the popular world-building sandbox game into a fully customized platform. Players will soon begin to see unlocked behavior changes for blocks and so on. Players are encouraged to hit the feedback forum to provide their thoughts on the new Add-Ons system.
Along with Add-Ons, the Boss Update will add the abilities to use slash commands, import and export worlds from Realms, introduce boss mobs called the Elder Guardian and the Wither, and create new Ocean Monuments. This will likely be the biggest update to Pocket Edition and Windows 10 Edition to date, and will land in the laps of Minecraft gamers on October 18.
