The first snapshot of Minecraft: Java Edition 1.19.4 of 2023 arrived this Wednesday (18) with Mojang Studios paying special attention to small changes – now, above all, with an eye on accessibility. That is, in features to make the game even more compatible with a variety of players, including novices or those with special needs.
In the case of this snapshot 23w03a, now available for players on PC, there are still a number of technical updates and a number of bug fixes. Among the changes in terms of accessibility you can see the following changes:
- Added an accessibility onboarding screen for players launching the game for the first time
- Added navigation by keyboard arrows
- The resource pack screen is now keyboard navigable
- Autojump is now disabled by default
- Added a new accessibility option for “Notification display time”
- Changes how long notifications such as unlocked recipes, advancements, subtitles, and selected item names are visible on the screen
Menu screens can now be navigated using the arrow keys, and in this type of navigation, sliders need to be activated by pressing Enter or Space to start switching between options.
Other changes include a new loading animation for Vexes when empty-handed, and additionally, armor stands now preserve custom names when placed and broken. There’s also a long list of technical details and other bug fixes in the game that can be read in full here.
This should be one of several small updates that are paving the way for Mojang Studios to work towards the turn of the game’s 1.20 release, which is expected to arrive later this year with new mobs, blocks, interactions, and more.
