Minecraft:Experiments

File:Ore UI - "Experiments" Tab Settings - Toggle Button - Experimental Gameplay Pop-Ups (Bedrock).png

The pop-up warning message that appears when activating an experiment in the world settings on Bedrock Edition

File:Ore UI - Play Screen "Worlds" Tab - Play World Button - Experimental Tag Example (Bedrock).png

Example of a world with the experimental tag on Bedrock Edition

Experiments (also known as Experimental Gameplay or Experimental Features Template:In) are Minecraft:data packs Template:In or game options Template:In. When an experiment is enabled, it allows players to test some experimental, unfinished, or work-in-progress features that may or may not eventually be released in future updates.

File:Experimental World Java.png

Example of a world with the experimental tag on Java Edition

Toggling

Experiments are found in the world options when creating or editingTemplate:Only a world. When turning an experiment on an existing world, a copy of the world is created automatically. Template:IN, turning an experiment on disables Minecraft:achievements for the world. Once the world is created with an experiment on, the experiment cannot be turned off again. Worlds with the experiments on have an "Experimental" tag next to the game mode name in the world menu.

Servers

Experiments can be enabled for servers by editing the Template:Cd fileTemplate:Only before generating a world by adding the ID of the experiment to the Template:Cd field in the form of a comma-separated list.

For example, this is how Minecraft:Minecart Improvements can be enabled in Template:Cd:

initial-enabled-packs=vanilla,minecart_improvements

Features may be enabled retroactively to already existing worlds by editing the Template:Cd file in a specialized NBT editor by adding a list tag under "Data" called Template:Code and inserting at least two strings: Template:Code and Template:Code.

.Template:Info needed

Warnings

File:Ore UI - Play Screen or Edit World Screen - Play World Button - Load Experimental World Pop-Ups (Bedrock).png

The warning message that pops up when attempting to play on an experimental world in Bedrock Edition.

The point of experiments is for the player to look at some not-quite-finished or experimental features, which could crash, break, change, or stop working at any point in future updates. When the player attempts to load the experimental world, it shows a warning message before loading it. Attempting to disable the experiments toggle via external tools could also crash and break the world.

It is recommended to create backup copies of the world before enabling any experiments to avoid breaking the world and having issues in future updates.

Java Edition

Experiments screen on Java Edition.

The experiment selection screen on Java Edition.

In Java Edition, experiments are built into Minecraft:data packs that can be enabled when creating a world. Java Edition features the following experiments:

• Minecraft:Minecart Improvements
  • Changes behavior of Minecraft:minecarts, allowing them to move faster and more smoothly (among other changes).
  • ID: Template:Cd
• Minecraft:Redstone Experiments
  • Changes behavior of Minecraft:redstone circuits, tweaking some aspects based on directionality or randomness, and how the redstone wire interacts with other blocks.
  • ID: Template:Cd
• Minecraft:Villager Trade Rebalance
  • ID: Template:Cd

Removed

• Minecraft:Update 1.20
• Minecraft:Bundles
• Minecraft:Update 1.21
• Winter Drop
• Minecraft:Locator Bar

Bedrock Edition

In Bedrock Edition, experiments sets of features that can be toggled in the world options menu, some of them are in internal Minecraft:behavior packs or Minecraft:resource packs. Experiments are split into two categories: "Gameplay" and "Add-On Creators."<ref>Template:Cite</ref>

File:Ore UI - Create New World Screen Menu "Experiments" Tab Settings (Bedrock).png

The experiment selection screen Template:In.

Gameplay

Change the way your world works

• "Minecraft:Villager Trade Rebalancing"
  • Overhauled trades for Minecraft:villagers.
• "Drop 3 of 2026"Template:Until
  • "Explore a new surface biome and find the abandoned camps spread throughout the world"

Add-on creators

For creators of game packs and other add-ons

• "Upcoming Creator Features"
  • Used for various features in add-ons that are upcoming but not ready for release yet.
• "Beta APIs"
  • Enables the usage for "-beta" versions of API modules in Minecraft:add-on packs.
• "Experimental Creator Camera Features"
  • Enables custom camera features, including an "over the shoulder" camera preset.
• "Render Dragon Features for Creators" (Preview only)
  • Enables colored lighting for all lit blocks in Minecraft:Vibrant Visuals and point lighting for some blocks, and adds the ability to customize local lighting in resource packs.
• "Experimental Voxel Shape Features"
  • Enables the use of voxel shape features for some vanilla and custom blocks.
• "Creator World Clocks Features"Template:Upcoming
  • Enables the use of Minecraft:world clocks for creators.
• "Points of Interest (POI)"Template:Upcoming
  • Adds points of interest to the Template:Cmd command and scripting.

Removed

Features from removed experiments are now all available in regular gameplay.

Gameplay

• Caves and Cliffs
• Minecraft:Wild Update
• Vanilla Experiments
• Spectator Mode
• Minecraft:Sniffer
• Next Major Update
• Minecraft:Crawling and Minecraft:Sneaking
• Recipe Unlocking
• Minecraft:Armadillo and Minecraft:Wolf Armor
• Minecraft:Update 1.21
• Bundles
• Minecraft:Drop 1 2025
• Minecraft:Drop 2 2025
• Minecraft:Locator Bar
• Minecraft:Drop 3 2025
• Minecraft:Drop 1 of 2026
• Furnace Recipe Book
• Drop 2 of 2026

Graphics

• Minecraft:Vibrant Visuals

Add-on creators

• Additional Modding Capabilities
• Molang Features
• Experimental Cameras
• Holiday Creator Features
• Creator Cameras: Focus Target Camera
• Creator Cameras: New Third-Person Preset
• Aim Assist
• Custom Components V2
• Custom biomes
• Data-Driven Jigsaw Structures
• Experimental Custom Projectile Features

History

Java Edition

Timeline

Combat Tests are not included as experimental snapshots in this timeline as they have no well-defined end date. Other items labelled as "experimental", such as datapack mob variants, data-driven world generation and the Vulkan renderer, are also not included. File:Timeline Experiments 1.png

Bedrock Edition

Timeline

File:Timeline Experiments 2.png