Minecraft requires Java to run on your PC. Below are the Java requirements for different Minecraft versions:
Java Requirements for Minecraft
- Minecraft 1.16 and older → Requires Java 8
- Minecraft 1.17 → Requires Java 16 or higher
- Minecraft 1.18 – 1.20 → Requires Java 17 or higher
- Minecraft 1.21 and above → Requires Java 21 or higher
Which Java Version Should You Use?
You can download Java from either Oracle or an OpenJDK provider. For Minecraft, OpenJDK works the same as Oracle’s version, but there’s an important difference:
Oracle JDK (since Java 17 LTS) requires a paid license for commercial or production use.
If you earn money from streaming Minecraft or running a Minecraft server (even non-profit), you must use OpenJDK unless you want to deal with licensing fees.
Recommended Java Downloads
- Zulu OpenJDK (stable and development builds)
- Adoptium OpenJDK (recommended) (stable builds only, check github.com/adoptium for development builds)
- AdoptOpenJDK (stable and development builds)(From July 2021 no new JDKs will be produced. All production of further builds has been moved to adoptium.net)
- Oracle OpenJDK (stable and development builds) - zip packages only (no installer)
- Oracle JRE (NOT recommended unless you want to pay) (stable "OTN" builds)
For the best experience, we highly recommend Adoptium OpenJDK. Make sure you install the correct Java version for your Minecraft version! 🚀