Dimension

This article is about the explorable dimensions accessible within the game. For the definition of dimensions in data packs, see Dimension definition. For other uses, see Dimension (disambiguation).

Dimensions are parallel worlds within a Minecraft world characterized by a way of generation, biomes and structures, and other things unique to one dimension. Each dimension is its own separate 3D space, not affecting other dimensions. Players can explore and discover various dimensions in Minecraft, typically through the use of portals. Content creators can also make custom dimensions to explore in Minecraft.

The daylight cycle and weather may work differently or not exist in different dimensions, as well as respawn points (such as beds and respawn anchors).

There are currently three dimensions in the game: the Overworld, the Nether, and the End. A fourth dimension, the Sift, is planned to be added in 2027.

Overworld

The Overworld is the primary dimension in Minecraft. It has a wide variety of unique biomes to explore, and is easily the most diverse of the dimensions. Players typically spend most of their time in this dimension.

Unique features of the Overworld include:

• Surface and underground biomes
• Oceans containing water
• The most amount of ores
• Many naturally generated structures
• The most types of mobs
• A daylight cycle
• Weather
  • Sleeping in a bed skips the night and sets spawn point (explodes when used in other dimensions)
• Sky features and atmospherics
• A larger vertical height of 384 blocks

The Nether

The Nether is a hot dimension where lava flows equivalent to water's flow characteristics. It is so hot that water evaporates and wet sponges dry out the instant they are placed. The ground mainly consists of netherrack, but soul sand covers the surface of soul sand valleys, and the basalt deltas consist of basalt and blackstone. A player can go to the Nether by entering a Nether portal in the Overworld. In most biomes, hostile mobs spawn and attack players, although in the warped forest only endermen spawn who don't attack players unless provoked.

Unique features of the Nether include:

• Using a respawn anchor sets spawn point and consumes a charge should death occur (explodes when used in other dimensions).
• Oceans containing lava
• 1 block pockets of lava
• Cave-like terrain
• Nether quartz ore, Nether gold ore, and ancient debris
• A ceiling and floor of bedrock
• Huge fungi in the crimson forests and warped forests
• Fog color shifts for certain biomes
• Piglins to barter with
• Bastion remnants guarded by piglin brutes
• Nether fortresses guarded by wither skeletons and blazes
• One block travel in the Nether is 8 blocks in the Overworld

The End

The End is a space-like dimension with floating End stone islands, accessible with an End portal in a stronghold. In its center, there is a large lone island on which the ender dragon fight takes place; the outer islands are about a thousand blocks of void away from it. The End is a barren environment, but it is the place where some of the most unique and useful items in the game can be obtained, such as the elytra or shulker boxes.

Unique features of the End include:

• Floating islands with access to the void
• End crystals igniting the block upon which they're placed on fire
• End flashes and a black pixel sky
• End cities guarded by shulkers
• End gateways to access the outer islands
• One of the main bosses in the game, the ender dragon

The Sift

This section describes a planned feature.^[1]

It has not appeared in any development versions yet, but is planned to be included in a future update.

The Sift is an upcoming dimension featuring the blub mob. It was originally added to Minecraft Dungeons II and will be added to Minecraft in 2027.

Custom dimensions

Using data packs, it is possible to create custom dimensions and dimension types that have different biomes, world generation and properties from the regular dimensions.‌^{[Java Edition only]}

Using add-ons, it is possible to create custom dimensions however, there is no world generation other than scripting. Each custom dimension is similar to an Overworld void world generation, with same height limit.

Unimplemented dimensions

Sky Dimension

The sky dimension was a scrapped dimension that would have contained floating land masses and was planned to be added in the Adventure Update. Eventually, the code for the sky dimension was repurposed for The End instead.^[2]

Dream Dimension

In a Twitch livestream, the developers briefly mentioned the idea of a "dream dimension" that would be exclusive to Pocket Edition.^[3]

History

Announcement

Java Edition

Bedrock Edition

Legacy Console Edition

New Nintendo 3DS Edition

Issues

Issues relating to "Dimension" are maintained on the bug tracker. Issues should be reported and viewed there.

Gallery

Mojang images

• 
  Original three dimensions.

References