The More RAM You Give It

There are three ways to play multiplayer Minecraft: Java Edition, which is free. - You have three options: join a public Minecraft server, create your own or buy a Minecraft Realm. - If your friends are on the same network, you can set up a LAN Minecraft server for local multiplayer.

Minecraft is a simple but endless game that has millions of players. It's easy to find new friends. However, it can be confusing to figure out how to play multiplayer games with your friends.

The way you play multiplayer Minecraft will depend on whether your version is the console-friendly Bedrock or the classic Java edition. Whichever edition you have, you can only play with friends who have the same version.

If that version is Java, there are few different ways to go about playing with your friends.

Hosting a multiplayer Minecraft server should only take a few moments.

Here's what you should know.

Quick tip: To play together, you must all be using the same version Minecraft.

How to play with friends on Minecraft: Java

Minecraft's multiplayer mode has its foundations in servers. Everyone who is playing together must be on the exact same server.

There are thousands of Minecraft servers already out there, which you and your friends can join to play together in moments - see the section below on how to join a friend's or a public server for more details. The only downside there is that you'll be sharing these servers with lots of other people you don't know.

A Minecraft server can be created for free by you and your friends if you wish to play a private version of Minecraft. It's not easy and requires a lot of work. Also, the person who creates the server will need a reliable computer and an internet connection. If this doesn't work for you, there are other options.

These are the steps that you will need to take to either join an already-running Minecraft: Java Edition or create your very own multiplayer server.

Join a server

1. Launch Minecraft and select Multiplayer.

2. Click Add Server.

3. Enter the address of your host server in the Server Address field and click Next. This could be an URL or an IP address.

4. Wait for the server's connection to occur. Then, select the server and click Join Server.

Join your server and create it

The following steps will help you set up a server on your Windows 10 computer. The steps should be identical, if not entirely the same, for Mac and Linux computers.

1. Launch a web browser of your choice and navigate to minecraft.net/download. Scroll down and click Java Edition Server.

2. Next, find and download Minecraft server software. Put it somewhere you'll find it. The file will have the.jar extension.

3. Create a new folder in your computer. Name it whatever you want. Then, place the.jar file from the download inside. This that or the other This is where your server files are kept.

4. Next, you will need to create plain text documents. Right-click on the folder and choose New, then Text document. Name the text document "start.txt."

Quick tip: On a Mac, you can make a .txt document using the TextEdit application. In Linux, the terminal can be used to issue the "cat” command.

5. Navigate back to the Minecraft server download webpage. Copy the command text, which reads:

java -Xmx1024M -Xms1024M -jar minecraft_server.1.18.2.jar nogui

Note that the numbers near the end will differ based on the most current version of Minecraft.

6. Paste the command text string in your start.txt.

7. Within the string of command text, you'll see the words "minecraft_server.1.18.2.jar." You'll need to rename that portion of the text "server.jar." That means that the new line of code will now read:

8. You can also change the RAM allocation for your server in this line of code. The more RAM you provide, the faster your server will run and the less stress it will put on your computer.

9. The RAM is determined using the first two numbers in the code line. These numbers are the RAM amounts in megabytes (MB). By default, it is set to 1024MB RAM, or 1 gigabyte (GB). This that or the other

Quick tip: RAM is different from storage space. One gigabyte equals 1,024 Megabytes, not 1,000. As such, you can set the RAM amount to multiples of 1,024 gigabytes.

1. Start Minecraft while your server's open and running. Then, select Multiplayer.

2. Select Add Server at the bottom-right corner.

3. Simply type the number "0", or the word, "localhost" into the Server Address field.

Use a local network server

1. One player should launch a single game world and then enter the pause menu. They'll choose Open to LAN.

2. Select the game mode and allow cheats from the menu. Click Start LAN World.

4. The other player or players in the same network should launch Minecraft. However, rather than jumping into a world, click on the Multiplayer option from main menu.

5. Minecraft will automatically scan your shared local network for new games. Click Join Server to see the correct world.

6. If it doesn't find the server, the players should click Direct Connection. Under Server Address, enter your IP address followed by a colon and five-digit port number.