Minecraft has joined the world of virtual reality.
"Everybody loves Minecraft, from kids to full grown adults," Kyle Riley at the Microsoft Store tells me during a recent visit. "Everybody loves playing it whether it's survival going against different mobs, which are creatures inside the game, or the creative mode which allows you to build that dream castle that you've always wanted."
At the Microsoft Store, these customers can now check out Minecraft VR for themselves.
The game is now compatible with two popular virtual reality platforms: Samsung Gear VR and the Oculus Rift, which is on display at the store.
"My jaw dropped, it was absolutely fantastic, the fact that I can just look to the right, it went to the right, I can look to the left, it went to the left," Riley says of his first experience. "It was absolutely fantastic!"
This version uses virtual reality. The company is also working an augmented reality version of the game to work with Microsoft's HoloLens.
After a brief tutorial and a look at the controls, it was time for me to strap on the somewhat silly-looking virtual reality headset.
My reaction was much like my tutor's initial thoughts. In seconds, I was hooked. The graphics, like in other versions of Minecraft, are stunning in their simplicity.
In Minecraft VR, I quickly discovered if I throw too many things at a virtual pig, I get virtual bacon.
One of my favorite things was to fly over the three-dimensional Minecraft world I had helped create.
Minecraft's maker Mojang, which Microsoft bought in 2014, has sold 70 million copies across the various platforms. While it is a game, it has been credited with helping kids get excited about science, technology, engineering, and math.
An educational version of Minecraft is expected to be released later this Fall.
You'll need a capable gaming PC running Windows 10 to play Minecraft VR. Add to that the Oculus Rift VR headset for $599, both available, naturally, at the Microsoft Store. Complete Windows 10 PC & headset packages, the company tells me, are available starting at around $1500.
Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition Beta itself is just $10.
Just be careful you don't get completely lost.
Follow KING 5 Technology Reporter Brian M. Westbrook on Twitter: @BrianWestbrook.
