Can you play Minecraft on a Chromebook?

Aakrit Sharma
Minecraft on a Chromebook

Minecraft has been around for a long time and is available on almost every major gaming platform out there. Despite the software limitations, here’s how you can play Minecraft on a Chromebook.

A Chromebook can help you do a ton of tasks, but gaming is not one of them. While you should not expect to run high-end games, the Play Store might allow you to install some games that do not demand a strong GPU and CPU.

Luckily, Minecraft is not a graphically demanding game, and here’s how you can play it on a Chromebook.

Minecraft plains with bees and flowers

Do Chromebooks support Minecraft?

Yes, you can play Minecraft on a Chromebook by installing its education edition, through the Google Play Store or by Linux.

How to download Minecraft on a Chromebook

Android version

Every Chromebook has a Google Play Store in which you can find Minecraft. The OS will inform you if the device is compatible/strong enough to run the game.

In case your device isn’t compatible, you can try running the desktop version that is available on the official website.

Desktop version

Follow these steps to run Minecraft on your Chromebook:

  1. Open your Chromebook settings and go to the Advanced section.
  2. Select Developers and allow Linux beta by turning on Linux Development Environment.
  3. Now, go to Minecraft’s website and download the Debian and Debian-based Distributions files from the Linux distributions category.
  4. Move the .deb file to your device’s Linux files.
  5. Open a terminal window and type sudo dpkg -i Minecraft.deb. After the initial installation, type sudo apt-get install -f in the window to install dependencies.

Following these steps should install the desktop version of Minecraft on your Chromebook. You might experience lag and a low frame rate depending on your device. Lower the graphics quality for smooth gameplay.

There’s a possibility that the Minecraft Launcher doesn’t work even after installation. If you face such an issue, open the terminal window and type sudo apt install libsecret-1-0.

Minecraft: Education edition

You can also install Minecraft: Education Edition on a Chromebook through the Google Play Store. It is specially made for learning and every user gets ten free logins. The Education Edition is a lot more than just a game as it has in-built courses for children.

Minecraft character riding a pig

Having said that, you can still play and beat the Ender Dragon and The Wither in Minecraft: Education Edition.


That’s everything you need to know about running Minecraft on a Chromebook. For more, check out how to make a bed in Minecraft, how to teleport in Minecraft, and how to breed horses in Minecraft.

Image Credits: Mojang