E3 2016: Minecraft launches new ‘Realms’ update, but what’s changed?

Microsoft has announced a step forward in cross-platform play for Minecraft during their E3 press conference, revealing the Minecraft Realms update.

Minecraft Realms makes it possible for yourself and friends to share a group server, where you can all play on that server whenever you see fit. This moves away from the ways of old whereby the host of the server would need to be online and playing Minecraft in order for you to be able to build on the server. Now, you simply make one that you can join, leave and build on at any time.

The big advantage of shared servers is that you can continue to build without restrictions, and that seems to be a feature of the Realms update, lowering barriers that were once there.

Minecraft Realms was presented as the first step in Microsoft's pursuit of making Minecraft accessible on a cross-platform level.

Texture packs are now available on the pocket edition of the game and on Windows 10, allowing gamers on all platforms to share the same ability of changing how their Minecraft world will look.

But, soon enough, texture packs aren't the only features that allow gamers to modify their experience. Minecraft will be revealing Add-ons for Minecraft this Fall.

If you would like to check out these new features in-action, take a look at the footage from Microsoft's E3 press conference below: