Following announcements at Minecraft LIVE on March 22, 2025, Minecraft has released two major features for beta testing: rideable happy ghasts and the Vibrant Visuals graphics update. These exciting additions, part of the second game drop of 2025, are now available for players to test through the beta/preview program on select Bedrock Edition devices.
Take Flight with Happy Ghasts
The friendly variant of the Nether's iconic floating mob is making its way to the Overworld. Unlike their hostile counterparts, happy ghasts can be tamed and ridden, carrying up to four players simultaneously through the skies. To ride these gentle giants, players will need to craft a ghast harness using leather, glass, wool, and optional dye for customization.
The update also introduces ghastlings – miniature versions of happy ghasts that follow players around and grow into full-sized happy ghasts when fed snowballs. Players can create these adorable companions by waterlogging dried ghast blocks, which can be found naturally in the Nether or crafted using ghast tears and bone blocks.
What Does Vibrant Visuals Bring to Minecraft?
The second major feature in testing is Vibrant Visuals – a significant graphics overhaul that enhances Minecraft's visual appeal with improved lighting, shadows, reflections, and cloud rendering. This update aims to breathe new life into the game's blocky world while maintaining its distinctive aesthetic.
Vibrant Visuals offers customizable settings to balance performance and visual quality, allowing players to adjust the experience to their preferences and hardware capabilities. Currently, the feature is available on select Bedrock Edition devices with specific hardware requirements:
| Device Category | Minimum Requirements for Vibrant Visuals |
|---|---|
| Android | Adreno 640, Mali-G68, Mali-G77, or Xclipse 530 or higher |
| iOS | A12 or M1 or higher |
| PC | Running Minecraft on DX12 |
How to Join the Testing
Players eager to experience these new features can join the beta/preview program by following these instructions. The testing is available on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PS5, Android, iOS, and PC, with plans to bring the features to Java Edition in the future.
Mojang encourages players to provide feedback on both features through dedicated channels: here for happy ghasts and here for Vibrant Visuals. Bugs can be reported at bugs.mojang.com.
It's worth noting that these features are still in testing and may change before final release. Players testing on Realms should back up their worlds, as testing versions can sometimes corrupt save files. For information on enabling betas/previews on Bedrock Edition Realms, visit the official help page.