'The Nether Update' for Minecraft gets 1.16.20.53 beta with changes for controllers

Minecraft Nether Update Java Image
Minecraft Nether Update Java Image (Image credit: Windows Central)

What you need to know

  • Despite being officially out, the Nether Update for Minecraft is still getting new beta builds.
  • These builds are all about general improvements and fixes, which holds true today.
  • The latest build improves how controllers interact with recipes and crafting.
  • There are also some performance improvements and bug fixes included in this beta as well.

Minecraft: Bedrock Edition is getting a new beta build for Xbox One, Windows 10, and Android devices, and it includes some more bug fixes for the Nether Update. However, there are also some new improvements in today's beta build that make interacting with recipes in the crafting screen easier when using a controller, which is great to see. Anything that makes the game more accessible, regardless of the player's input method, is okay by me.

The controller changes include:

  • Recipe Select button prompt shows when hovering over a non-craftable recipe book item using controller
  • Recipe selected items put in crafting input grid can now be hovered over with controller to see their tooltip names
  • On controller, hovering over recipes will show them in the crafting grid when no recipe is selected
  • On controller, you can deselect a selected recipe when hovering above that selection in the recipe book. You can also clear the crafting grid by clicking the right stick

Beyond the controller improvements, there are a few general bug fixes and little tweaks that Mojang Studios has made, including making it so that piglins and their brutish cousins can spawn with enchanted weapons.

If you're interested, you can find the full changelog here. Otherwise, check out how to join the various betas for Minecraft: Bedrock Edition here so you can help Mojang Studios make Minecraft even better.

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Zachary Boddy
Staff Writer

Zachary Boddy (They / Them) is a Staff Writer for Windows Central, primarily focused on covering the latest news in tech and gaming, the best Xbox and PC games, and the most interesting Windows and Xbox hardware. They have been gaming and writing for most of their life starting with the original Xbox, and started out as a freelancer for Windows Central and its sister sites in 2019. Now a full-fledged Staff Writer, Zachary has expanded from only writing about all things Minecraft to covering practically everything on which Windows Central is an expert, especially when it comes to Microsoft. You can find Zachary on Twitter @BoddyZachary.

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