5 best features and changes in Minecraft Snapshot 24w38a
Minecraft Snapshot 24w38a debuted for Java Edition players on September 18, 2024, bringing along with it some new features besides several changes and bug fixes. However, not every one of them is massively impactful, and some may not even be noticed in most situations. That leaves one to wonder, which additions and changes are the best in this snapshot?
The answer depends on the player's requirements. In this article, we offer some highlights of Minecraft Snapshot 24w38a without having to go through the full list of patch notes.
Five of the best features, fixes, and additions in Minecraft Snapshot 24w38a
1) Bundles can now be dyed
After years of waiting, bundles are slowly but surely expected to be released as a non-Experimental Feature in Minecraft Java and Bedrock. However, it appears Mojang Studios is still adding some upsides to them before fully releasing them in the base game beyond the Experimental Feature barrier. Such is the case with Snapshot 24w38a, which added dyeable bundles.
Like leather armor and wool blocks, bundles can now be dyed, with a selection of 16 different colors to choose from.
2) Hardcore Mode enabled for Realms
Hardcore Mode in Minecraft has been a staple in Java Edition for years, but it was conspicuously absent for servers run on the Realms service. Fortunately, Mojang noticed that many users on Realms wanted to enjoy the challenges of Hardcore Mode, which has now been enabled via Snapshot 24w38a.
Realms appears to be receiving more attention despite some of its issues with downtime as of late. That said, adding Hardcore Mode is a big upside if you're enjoying a realm with friends and want a tougher challenge.
3) Shulker box colors added to the recipe book
In Minecraft: Java Edition, it was possible to dye a shulker box and change its color, although players weren't able to figure this out by viewing the recipe book. This has been fixed in Snapshot 24w38a, and the crafting recipes for dyeing shulker boxes have finally been added to the recipe book.
While this may not make much of a difference for veterans, it is useful for newer players since they may not be aware that one can dye shulker boxes.
4) Realms world creation screen update
In addition to receiving Hardcore Mode, the Realms service has been fleshed out by improving its world creation screen. Specifically, the world creation screen for Realms introduces game rules and datapack customization, making it equivalent to the world creation menu seen in single-player/LAN games. It's a small change in the grand scheme of things, but a welcome addition.
Ensuring some uniformity in the UI between the world creation screens via Realms, regardless of whether they're single-player or online, should help enforce Java Edition's consistency as it continues to evolve.
5) Item disappearance bug fix
In Snapshot 24w36a, a bug was encountered where if items in the hotbar were dropped while the Survival Inventory tab wasn't selected, some of them in a stack would vanish. This led to situations in modes with multiple inventory tabs like Creative Mode, where dropping items meant losing a segment of them once they were picked back up.
The good news is that Snapshot 24w38a has fixed this problem before it persisted in future snapshots or even the base Java Edition builds.