What you need to know
- Minecraft just recently released the 1.16.2 update for 'the Nether Update.'
- This mid-version update fixed lots of bugs and made a ton of improvements, but it's not perfect.
- A new bug has surfaced that is causing Minecraft to crash when played on Nintendo Switches.
- Not only does the bug affect the game, but it also causes the Nintendo Switch to completely freeze or crash.
Minecraft is a fantastic game, and makes constant improvements with updates like the recent Nether Update. However, it's far from perfect, and bugs often arise that can dampen or even halt the experience for some players, which is unfortunate. The Nintendo Switch has struggled with these bugs more than other platforms, and a new bug is genuinely game breaking for both Minecraft and even the Nintendo Switch.
The bug originates with the recent 1.16.2 update, which was intended to dramatically improve the Nether Update with new features and lots of bug fixes, and for the most part it succeeded. However, players on Nintendo Switches are running into an issue where attempting to start Minecraft with the 1.16.2 update completely crashes the game, and then freezes the Switch completely.
The only way to fix it is to fully restart the entire console, and even then Minecraft still won't function. This obviously is not ideal, and simply makes it impossible to play the game. Mojang Studios is offering a potential temporary workaround while they investigate the issue in search of a more permanent solution:
"For a temporary workaround, try not signing in to a Microsoft Account. While you won't have access to servers, Realms, or possibly Marketplace content, you can play single player & split-screen worlds. We are still investigating."
This still isn't perfect, as it does prevent any multiplayer games, which is a huge part of Minecraft for lots of players. Hopefully, Mojang Studios will be able to resolve this issue quickly, and work to prevent such issues from happening again. Unfortunately, this is not the first time the Nintendo Switch has had continued issues with Minecraft, which suggests Mojang Studios needs to take extra care with this very popular portable platform, and properly test every single update beforehand.
Are you running into this issue on your Nintendo Switch? Are there any other Nintendo Switch-specific issues you've run into with Minecraft? Let us know in the comments below!
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Minecraft is an inarguable and complete success. It has sold copies in the hundreds of millions, has a huge following of dedicated players, and lets you unlock your every creative desire. It's also available on every platform imaginable, including Xbox One, Windows 10, Playstation 4, and Nintendo Switch. Play with anyone, and play anywhere.
