Minecraft Earth is a free-to-play version of Minecraft, which allows you to build a virtual world around them. Just like Pokemon Go, you can use your smartphone to build a tree, a castle or a dungeon under your house.

But unlike Niantic’s Pokemon Go, Microsoft is committed to the use of augmented reality.

Subreddit for Minecraft Earth.

Minecraft Earth’s game director quoted to media “There are these moments in digital entertainment and technology, where you have not just one, but a number of enabling technologies coming online at the same time,”

“It’s this confluence that happens where, when you put them together, products appear that could never have appeared before.”

Minecraft Earth uses Azure Spatial Anchors instead of GPS, which leverage Open Street Map and Azure cloud to generate locations around the planet. These points are more precise, include data like altitude and as people visit them the data is refined even further.

“When we say augmented reality, we actually mean augmented reality,” Olafsson said. “It’s not just a geocaching game with 2% of it in AR. We decided to go head first and build the game from the ground up as an experience that you play both in your immediate environment, and out in the world, in parks and cities, wherever you are.”

Since it’s an AR game, players can interact with the objects like a real object. They can check out tiny details and walk around them. On top of this players can also collaborate and work on the same building.

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Creating a miniature environment is fun but Minecraft Earth takes is even further as it allows you to step into life-sized versions of your creations.

But Minecraft Earth isn’t just about building miniature environments: You can also step into life-sized versions of your creations. It is the same game we have been playing for decades. You have to hunt for resources, explore new areas for treasure and build things, except now we are in the real world.

Minecraft Earth is still ultimately the same game we’ve been playing for the past decade. You’ll spend most of your time hunting for resources, exploring new areas for treasure and building whatever you’d like. Except now, you’re interacting with the real world, instead of just sitting and staring at a monitor or TV.

A closed beta for Minecraft Earth will kick off this summer both for iOS and Android. SO hurry up have book your slot by signing up. You need to 18 years or older and the rollout will be gradual.