Microsoft bakes Mixer broadcasting and interactivity into Minecraft

There's no doubt that Minecraft has a massive presence online with streamers and content creators, and now Microsoft is looking to make getting started with broadcasting the popular game a little easier — and a little more fun, too. Microsoft is now integrating Mixer, its game streaming platform, directly into Minecraft in a couple of different ways that should open the game up more to mobile streamers and Mixer's interactive features.

First, Mixer broadcasting is now baked into the Minecraft 1.2.5 beta for Android. The integration essentially gives players access to the Mixer Create experience from within Minecraft, allowing them to more easily start a broadcast on the go. The feature is available starting today in the Android beta, and it will launch on iOS once version 1.2.5 exits beta, Microsoft says.

Perhaps more exciting for Minecraft fans on all platforms is support for Mixer's Interactive 2.0 platform. "With just a few lines of code," Microsoft says, streamers will now be able to give viewers interactive options that can have an actual impact on gameplay. Depending on the options streamers make available, viewers could do things like change the time of day or spawn a horde of mobs, for example. The interactive features are available in the Minecraft 1.2.5 beta on Android and Windows 10, and they'll be available on Xbox One later this week. Interactivity will come to all versions of Minecraft when the feature exits beta, Microsoft says.

If you're looking to start streaming some Minecraft on Mixer, you can learn more about using these features at Mixer.

Dan Thorp-Lancaster

Dan Thorp-Lancaster is the former Editor-in-Chief of Windows Central. He began working with Windows Central, Android Central, and iMore as a news writer in 2014 and is obsessed with tech of all sorts. You can follow Dan on Twitter @DthorpL and Instagram @heyitsdtl