Minecraft launches Dec. 17 on PS3, hits PS4 and PS Vita in 2014

Minecraft: PlayStation 3 Edition, the PS3 version of Mojang's phenomenally successful sandbox game, will be released Dec. 17 on PlayStation Network in North America, the studio announced today.

The port is being handled by 4J Studios, the same company behind Minecraft: Xbox 360 Edition, which was released in May 2012 and recently passed the milestone of 10 million copies sold. Minecraft: PS3 Edition includes all the content that exists in the Xbox 360 Edition, and according to Mojang, all console versions will be developed together from this point forward.

It's unclear if that also includes Minecraft: PlayStation 4 Edition and Minecraft: PS Vita Edition, which are still in development and will be released sometime in 2014. Sony originally announced the PS4, PS3 and PS Vita ports of Minecraft at Gamescom 2013; at the time, the company said it would launch with the PS4. All three versions, as well as the upcoming Xbox One version, are being developed by 4J.

Mojang doesn't yet know if the PS3 Edition will support Remote Play, or if it will feature any compatibility with the PS4 or PS Vita versions, wrote Owen Hill, the studio's chief word officer, on the PlayStation Blog. Downloadable skins and texture packs, including PlayStation-specific ones, will be available for the PS3 Edition soon. Mojang did not announce a price for the PS3 Edition, but the Xbox 360 Edition costs $19.99.