Minecraft is coming to Nintendo Switch 2 on 27 October, Mojang has confirmed — giving the best-selling video game of all time a dedicated version on Nintendo's newest console.

The date, announced on 6 August, ends a wait that began in June when the port first surfaced through an ESRB age rating in the US. Nintendo later confirmed the game during a Direct showcase — the company's curated presentation format — but held back a release date at the time Eurogamer.

Players who already own Minecraft on the original Switch will be able to upgrade to the Switch 2 version. That upgrade does not appear to be free, though, and Mojang said more details would follow.

The Switch 2 port brings a bundle of visual upgrades Mojang calls "Vibrant Visuals" — enhanced lighting and shadow effects designed to give the game's blocky worlds a richer look. Most Marketplace content, the in-game store where players buy community-made maps, skins and add-ons, will support the new visuals. The catch: Vibrant Visuals won't be available in split-screen multiplayer, and certain Marketplace Worlds won't get the upgrade either.

The Nintendo-exclusive Super Mario Mash-Up pack, which layers Mario-themed characters and textures into Minecraft and is available only on Nintendo platforms, will benefit from the Vibrant Visuals treatment Eurogamer.

Until the October release, Minecraft has already been playable on Switch 2 through the console's backward-compatibility feature, which runs original Switch software on the newer hardware IGN. The dedicated version adds the visual enhancements and native optimisation that backward compatibility alone doesn't provide.

For the millions who already play Minecraft on a Switch, 27 October is the date to circle — and the cost of jumping to the new version is the detail still hanging.