Minecraft fans rejoice as new version for later this year

It looks like we're about to get another new version of Minecraft as an ESRB rating for the game on Nintendo Switch 2 has appeared earlier this week.

Gamers can find the rating published for all to see over on the ESRB website. Minecraft, published by Microsoft, is listed there as being rated E for Everyone 10+ on the Nintendo Switch 2.

This is significant as there currently isn't a dedicated version of Minecraft for Nintendo's latest hardware. It's possible to run the original Switch version of Minecraft on the hardware - and it does run a lot better without the need for an update - but that original version is missing some of the features enjoyed on the Xbox Series X|S and PS5 versions of the game.

The timing of this new rating is significant, especially as we head into a big week of gaming announcements. Summer Games Fest is scheduled for Friday, and the Xbox Games Showcase is broadcasting on Sunday.

I'd put money on Microsoft announcing the dedicated Switch 2 version of Minecraft at Summer Games Fest, especially as it's currently trying to prove to games that it's focused on its own platform for once with this year's Games Showcase.

There are also rumours that we could be getting a surprise Nintendo Direct on Thursday, so it's entirely possible that the announcement is planned for then.

As for what features we could potentially see in a Switch 2 version of Minecraft, we'd of course expect the visuals to see some sort of improvement. With the power of the Switch 2, it might be able to handle some of the fancier lighting we've seen come to the game in recent years, as well as longer draw distances.

Minecraft is currently one of the best selling games of all time, beaten out only by Tetris due to its large number of versions. Minecraft is currently available across a wide range of platforms, including Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, PC, iOS and last-gen consoles too.

Keep you eyes peeled this week for an official announcement of Minecraft on the Nintendo Switch 2.