A while ago, my mom bought me Minecraft: Windows 10 Edition (Bedrock) with a product key, and it worked fine on my old PC. Recently, I switched to a new PC with an RTX 2070 and wanted to play Minecraft with ray tracing. I downloaded the Minecraft Launcher from the Microsoft Store and logged in with my Microsoft account, but instead of showing “Play” or “Download,” it just prompts me to “Buy Now.” I also tried downloading Minecraft via the Xbox app, which shows I own the game, but it only lets me access the free trial with no option to log in within Minecraft itself. Restarting and reinstalling didn’t fix it. I don’t want to buy Minecraft again since I’ve already paid for it on PC and Switch. I contacted support but only got chatbot replies that weren’t helpful. What can I do to play my owned Minecraft without repurchasing?
3 Answers
It sounds like the issue is related to how Minecraft Bedrock is now distributed. The old Windows 10 Edition you bought isn’t sold separately anymore; Microsoft switched to a unified launcher that bundles Java and Bedrock editions together. So, when you log into the Minecraft Launcher, it might ask you to buy the whole bundle even if you own the old version. One workaround is to try installing Minecraft from the Microsoft Store app (not just the launcher), where your previous purchase might still be recognized, but I know that can be confusing since the old Win10 edition sometimes doesn’t show up there anymore.
Make sure you’re trying to launch the Bedrock version specifically. The Minecraft Launcher defaults to Java Edition, so even if you own Bedrock, it might only show the play button for Java if you have it linked. In the launcher, there should be a dropdown near the play button where you can switch between Java and Bedrock. Since you said you already tried switching, the problem might be with your account’s license recognition on Microsoft’s backend, especially if the purchase was for the old Win10 edition.
I’ve had similar issues when moving to a new PC. Microsoft’s merging of Xbox and Minecraft accounts has caused some confusion. Sometimes the license info doesn’t immediately sync across devices. Try checking that your Microsoft account is the same one that bought the game and ensure you’re signed into both the Xbox app and Minecraft Launcher with that account. Also, some users have found success by reinstalling Minecraft through the Xbox app after a complete uninstall of all Minecraft-related software. It’s annoying, but that full reset sometimes prompts the license to refresh.
