Have you tried playing a Minecraft beta? It's where we test upcoming features of the game! To try these features, you have to play a version of Minecraft that supports betas (so that's the Windows 10, Xbox One and Android versions). You can see how to sign up for a Minecraft beta on each version here. You can also find more help regarding this specific beta on our feedback site.

Remember, beta features can be unstable – the whole reason we want players trying them this early is to give us feedback and catch bugs for us to fix – so backup your worlds! We've added loads of new stuff to for the 1.9.0.0 beta, so we thought we'd update this article with all the new features you can try, like Pillagers, Bamboo, new flowers and tons of new stairs and slabs! For a full list of changes and fixes, as well as a great place to give us feedback about the beta, head to our feedback site.

EXPERIMENTAL GAMEPLAY FEATURES

These features are only available when Experimental Gameplay is enabled in world settings.

Pillagers

Bamboo is now generated in Jungle biomes

Crossbow weapon with new enchantments (Multishot, Piercing and Quick Charge)

New Features:

Added new flowers: Lily of the Valley and Cornflower

Added spruce, birch, jungle, acacia and dark oak signs

Added new stair, slab, and wall variants:

Stone stairs and slabs

Granite stairs, slabs and walls

Polished Granite stairs and slabs

Diorite stairs, slabs and walls

Polished Diorite stairs and slabs

Andesite stairs, slabs and walls

Polished Andesite stairs and slabs

Sandstone walls

Smooth Red Sandstone stairs and slabs

Smooth Quartz stairs and slabs

Brick walls

Stone Brick walls

Mossy Stone Brick stairs, slabs and walls

Nether Brick walls

End Stone Brick stairs, slabs and walls

Prismarine walls

Red Sandstone walls

Red Nether Brick stairs, slabs and walls

Smooth Sandstone stairs and slabs

Mossy Cobblestone stairs and slabs

EXISTING BETA FEATURES:

CATS AND PANDAS