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Yes. To move a Minecraft Bedrock world between consoles—including Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch—the reliable, officially documented cross-platform method is to upload it to a Minecraft Realm on the old console, then download it on the new one. Sign in with the same Microsoft account on both. The original local world remains on the old console, and the download creates a separate copy.
The short version
- On the old console, upload your local Bedrock world to a Realm.
- On the new console, sign in to Minecraft with the same Microsoft account.
- Open the Realm’s settings and download the uploaded world.
- Open the local copy from the Worlds tab. It should be named World name – Copy.
Signing in to the same Microsoft account does not automatically sync locally stored worlds. The upload and download are separate steps. See Minecraft’s Bedrock world-transfer instructions.
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What you need
- Bedrock Edition on both consoles. This method does not transfer a Java Edition world directly to a Bedrock console Realm; Java and Bedrock Realms are separate.
- Access to the original world on the old console.
- The same Microsoft account signed in to Minecraft on both devices. Check which account is linked before starting, especially on PlayStation, where account-linking changes have restrictions. See the PlayStation account-linking FAQ.
- An active Bedrock Realms subscription or an eligible trial, plus an internet connection.
- Minecraft updated on both consoles.
- A world small enough to upload. Mojang’s upload guidance lists a 4 GB maximum upload size; check its Realm upload instructions.
Console online-service requirements can also apply when accessing online features. The required plan and current name depend on the console, account, and region. Check the relevant official pages for Xbox, PlayStation, or Nintendo Switch. These platform services are not substitutes for Realms as a cross-console world-transfer route.
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Upload it on the old console
- Open Minecraft and select Play.
- Open the Realms tab and choose the Realm you will use.
- Open that Realm’s Settings, then select a world slot.
- Choose Edit World and scroll to the bottom of Game Settings.
- Select Upload World if the slot is empty. If it already holds a world, the option is Replace World.
- Confirm, then wait until the upload finishes before closing the game or turning off the console.
Watch for the Replace World warning: it overwrites the world currently loaded in that Realm slot. Download or otherwise preserve that Realm world first if you need it. Realms has three world slots, but only one is active and playable at a time.
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Download it on the new console
- Open Minecraft, connect to the internet, and sign in with the Microsoft account used for the upload.
- Select Play, then open the Realms tab.
- Select the Realm containing your uploaded world and open Settings.
- Select the correct world slot, choose Edit World, then scroll to the bottom of Game Settings.
- Select Download World and let the download complete.
- Return to the Worlds tab. Open the local copy, normally listed as World name – Copy. Use the pencil/edit icon to rename it if you like.
The downloaded world is a copy, not a destructive move: the original local save should remain on the old console. Keep that original until you have opened and checked the new copy.
Does it work between Xbox, PlayStation, and Switch?
Yes, when both versions are Bedrock Edition, the accounts and Realm are set up correctly, and the destination platform supports Bedrock Realms. The documented route is the same in either direction:
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| From | To | Route |
|---|---|---|
| Xbox | PlayStation | Bedrock Realms |
| Xbox | Nintendo Switch | Bedrock Realms |
| PlayStation | Xbox | Bedrock Realms |
| PlayStation | Nintendo Switch | Bedrock Realms |
| Nintendo Switch | Xbox | Bedrock Realms |
| Nintendo Switch | PlayStation | Bedrock Realms |
Bedrock Realms also supports other Bedrock devices, including Windows, iOS, Android, Amazon Fire, and Chromebook. That does not make Java Edition worlds interchangeable with Bedrock worlds. For Realms platform details, see Minecraft’s Realms page.
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Do you have to pay for Realms?
Realms is generally a paid subscription, although eligible users may be offered a 30-day trial. Trial terms can change and a trial may renew automatically unless canceled, so check the offer and renewal date before starting. For a one-time transfer, the standard Bedrock Realms tier is usually enough; Realms Plus is aimed at players who want its larger simultaneous-player limit or included Marketplace benefits.
The Minecraft US Realms page listed Bedrock Realms at $3.99 per month and Realms Plus at $7.99 per month as of August 18, 2026. Prices, taxes, promotions, and availability vary by region and may change; check the current Realms page for your location. The destination player does not need a separate Realms subscription to download a world as the Realm owner, but the owner must be able to access the Realm.
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After downloading and checking the local copy, you can cancel if you do not want ongoing hosting. Minecraft says Realm worlds remain available to download for 18 months after a subscription expires, but treat that as a fallback—not a reason to delay saving your copy.
If the world does not appear or the upload fails
- Check the Microsoft account. Verify that the same account used for the upload is signed in on the destination. Do not assume the console profile alone identifies the Minecraft account.
- Confirm the upload finished. On the old console, return to the Realm and make sure the intended world is in the selected slot. If the upload was interrupted, try again while the console has a stable connection.
- Check the slot and tab. On the new console, look in Play > Realms, select the correct Realm and slot, and choose Download World. The downloaded copy appears under local Worlds, not just as a Realm entry.
- Check access and versions. Make sure the Realm or trial is active, both consoles are online, and Minecraft is updated. Console online-service requirements may apply.
- Check the world size. A world over the documented 4 GB upload limit cannot use this upload route as-is.
- On Switch, check for a legacy edition world. If the world is from the older Minecraft: Nintendo Switch Edition, convert or sync it into current Bedrock first. Mojang’s Switch world-transfer guidance describes the legacy process, including the Sync Old Worlds option.
- If the world will not open locally, troubleshoot that source-world problem first; Realms cannot upload a world the game cannot access.
These checks address common possibilities; an error message may point to a different cause. Avoid replacing a Realm slot until you have protected any world already stored there.
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What does—and does not—come across?
The transfer saves the world to the destination console as a local copy. It does not automatically make every local save appear on every device just because you use a Microsoft account. Microsoft-account linking gives access to features such as Realms and Marketplace content, but a locally stored world still needs a supported transfer step. See Minecraft’s Microsoft-account and Realms guidance.
Marketplace purchases and other account-linked content may be available when you sign in, but do not assume every third-party add-on, pack, or platform-specific behavior will work identically on each console. Nor should you assume achievements or trophies will carry over unchanged: their behavior can depend on platform and world settings. Keep expectations separate from the core transfer, which is the Bedrock world copy.
Reinstalling Minecraft or moving a game license is also not the same as moving its local worlds. Minecraft’s device and license guidance treats those as distinct issues.
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