Skip to main content

Minecraft’s Nether update gives hell a fresh coat of paint

Minecraft’s latest update (1.16) is now live, bringing huge changes to the game’s previously sparse, but hellish Nether zone.

The most notable change is the addition of four new biomes to the Nether: The Soul Sand Valley (a gloomy desert overrun with ghasts), the Crimson Forest (an expanse of red fungi), the Warped Forest (blue fungi and a whole lot of Endermen), and Basalt Deltas (a land of volcanic rock).

Recommended Videos

The 1.16 patch also adds new mobs such as piglins and even striders, fungal creatures the player can ride across lava.

The update is live now for Java players and Bedrock players.

Other than biomes and creatures, the update brings a variety of other gameplay additions, including a new stone (Blackstone), new crafting material (Netherite), a respawn anchor to set your respawn point in the nether, and a whole bunch of other new features.

You can read the full patch notes here.

Will Nicol
Will Nicol is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends. He covers a variety of subjects, particularly emerging technologies, movies…
Is Minecraft cross-platform?
Characters walking in minecraft.

Minecraft is an endless sandbox of fun to explore one's creativity. As great as it is to play alone, it is also one of the best co-op games. Building bases, fighting monsters, and crafting strong weapons are all better with one or more friends to share the adventure with. Because Minecraft is available on almost anything with a screen, you would assume you could play with anyone, but the answer isn't quite that simple.

Playing with friends on a shared server is one of the greatest ways to experience Minecraft, just like it is for Terraria or GTA V. But in today's gaming landscape, there is a wide variety of platforms on which people play the game, which may lead you to wonder if this is a cross-platform game. Below, we'll tell you what you need to know about cross-platform play in Minecraft.
Is Minecraft cross-platform?

Read more
All the Minecraft console commands and cheats for console and PC
Minecraft on Chromebooks.

In a game as open-ended and sandboxy in nature as Minecraft, it might seem like there's no need to cheat. Unlike a game like Words With Friends 2, you aren't necessarily competing with anyone in the game. Once you learn the best Minecraft tips and tricks, maybe learn about all the biomes, and how enchanting works, there isn't much you can't do.

Except that isn't quite the case. There are actually a host of fun and useful cheats and console commands you can take advantage of to tweak the game without downloading any mods. Since Minecraft is a cross-platform game available on almost everything, we will go over how you can activate these cheats no matter which version of the game you're playing on.
How to enter console commands in Java Edition

Read more
Minecraft-themed Beats Solo 4 is perfect for that Creeper in your life
The special-edition Minecraft-themed Beats Solo 4 headphones.

Not that there's a dearth of Minecraft-themed products in the world today — but if you're looking for something for your favorite gamer, Beats by Dr. Dre just unleashed a special Minecraft edition of its new Beats Solo 4 headphones.

If you've already read our Beats Solo 4 review, these are for all intents and purposes the same headphones. Good (but not great) sound, lacking active noise cancellation, but bringing a lower price than the Beats Studio Pro. And, obviously, there's the Minecraft theme, with metallic green hinges and the iconic Creeper character in plain view.

Read more