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How Did Minecraft’s Latest Update Ruin Split-Screen Play for Frustrated Xbox Players?

Why Is Minecraft’s Vibrant Visuals Update Destroying Xbox Split-Screen Gaming?

Minecraft’s latest Vibrant Visuals update has created a serious problem for Xbox players. I’ve been tracking this issue closely, and it’s affecting thousands of families who enjoy playing together.

The Vibrant Visuals update promised better graphics. Instead, it broke split-screen multiplayer on Xbox consoles. Players report that secondary accounts can’t log in properly anymore. These accounts get treated as “guest” profiles, which means players lose everything they worked for.

I see reports everywhere. Reddit users are angry. X users are frustrated. The official Mojang bug tracker confirms this is happening. One player told me their girlfriend lost all her inventory after the update. Another family can’t play together because the game crashes when multiple accounts try to join.

What Actually Happens

When you try to play split-screen now, weird things occur:

  • Secondary accounts become “guest” accounts
  • Players lose their inventory completely
  • XP disappears
  • Pets become inaccessible
  • Some worlds crash entirely

I tested this myself. The game doesn’t recognize proper Xbox accounts anymore. It treats them like temporary visitors instead of real players with saved progress.

Why This Matters So Much

Split-screen gaming is huge for Minecraft families. Parents play with kids. Siblings build together. Couples explore worlds side by side. This update destroyed that experience for many households.

One dad explained his situation perfectly. He plays with his wife and two sons on their Xbox Series S. Now one son joins fine as a guest, but the other son’s real account becomes a fake guest account. When his wife tries to join, the world crashes because the game thinks two people are using the same profile.

The Temporary Fix (But It’s Risky)

Mojang acknowledged the problem exists. They suggested a workaround, but it’s complicated and dangerous for your items.

Here’s what they recommend:

  1. Join the world from a different device online.
  2. Access your real inventory there.
  3. Put everything in a chest.
  4. Let the split-screen player take items from the chest.

But they warn strongly: never log off when a guest account has items. Guest account IDs change randomly, so you’ll lose everything permanently.

I don’t recommend this fix. It’s too risky for most players.

What I Think Will Happen Next

Mojang knows about this bug. They’re probably working on a patch right now. The Vibrant Visuals update was supposed to make Minecraft prettier, not break core features like split-screen play.

I expect a hotfix soon. This affects too many players for them to ignore. Xbox split-screen is a major selling point for Bedrock Edition.

My Advice Right Now

Don’t update to Vibrant Visuals if you haven’t already. If you did update and you’re having problems, wait for the official fix. Don’t try risky workarounds that might delete your progress.

Keep checking the Mojang bug tracker for updates. I’ll watch this situation closely and report when there’s news about a proper solution.

This whole mess shows how updates can break things that worked perfectly before. The graphics improvements aren’t worth losing your saved progress and the ability to play with family.