Minecraft Realms won’t require Xbox Live Gold for cross-platform play

You won’t need to double up on subscriptions if you only want Xbox Live for Minecraft.

Microsoft has confirmed to GamesBeat that no one will have to pay for an Xbox Live Gold subscription to use the cross-platform multiplayer features of Minecraft Realms. Last week, the company announced that its Realms server-renting membership is available for the mobile versions of Minecraft — consoles are getting it next year. This feature also enables people on iOS, Android, Windows 10, and more to play Minecraft together for the first time using Xbox Live. But unlike other Xbox Live games, you will not need a Gold subscription for online multiplayer. Realms is its own subscription service that can cost as much as $8 per month, and Microsoft is avoiding hitting up Minecraft fans for money twice with the $60-per-year fee for Gold.