Get started¶
This section takes you from the installer to the Minecraft title screen. Xol is in closed development, so the first thing you need is an invitation.
Before you begin¶
You need three things.
- An invitation. Builds are invite-only. Write to contact@xol.dev with your operating system, and you receive an installer.
- Your own copy of Minecraft: Java Edition. Xol signs you in with the Microsoft account that owns the game and checks the license before it launches anything. It does not include, redistribute or unlock the game.
- A supported computer. See the table below.
Microsoft sign-in is not live yet
Sign-in is built, but Mojang has not yet approved Xol's application ID. Until it does, signing in stops at the Minecraft services step with a message that Mojang has to approve the ID first, and the launcher cannot start the game with a Microsoft account. Installing, settings and updates work. See Sign-in and accounts.
Requirements¶
| Requirement | Notes | |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | Windows 10 or 11, x64 | Standard installer. Installs for the current user, with no administrator rights needed. |
| macOS, Apple Silicon | macOS 12 or later | Minecraft 1.8.9 and 1.7.10 run on a native Apple Silicon Java 8 by default, with Mojang's Intel Java through Rosetta 2 as the fallback. See Apple Silicon and Troubleshooting. |
| macOS, Intel | macOS 12 or later, x64 | Same features, separate download. |
| Linux | No build | Development testing happens on Linux, but no Linux installer is published. |
| Java | Nothing to install | Xol downloads the Java runtime Mojang ships for each Minecraft version. You can point it at your own Java instead. See Launch options. |
| Internet | Needed for the first install and for sign-in | Versions that are already installed still launch when the Xol service or your connection is down. See Offline behavior. |
| Sign-in storage | DPAPI on Windows, a private file on macOS | On Windows your sign-in is encrypted by the operating system. macOS builds keep it in a file in the Xol data folder that only your user account can open. See Sign-in and accounts. |
The minimum operating system versions are the planned ones. They have not been verified on hardware yet. See Supported versions.
Xol does not state a total download size for the game files. The launcher shows file counts and bytes while it installs. The sizes that are known are on What gets downloaded.
The steps¶
- Install Xol. Follow Install on macOS or Install on Windows. Both pages explain the one-time warning that unsigned builds trigger.
- Agree to the terms. On the first start the launcher shows the Terms of Use, the Privacy Policy and the Minecraft EULA, with one Agree button. See First launch.
- Sign in with Microsoft. Press Sign in with Microsoft. The sign-in page opens in your own browser, on Microsoft's site. See First launch.
- Pick a version, add-ons and a preset. Xol 1.8.9 is selected by default. See Profiles and add-ons and Performance presets.
- Press Play. The first launch downloads and verifies the game, Java and Forge. See What gets downloaded.
- Open the Xol menu in game. Press Right Shift. See The client.