There are two Minecrafts. Java Edition runs on PC (Windows, Mac, Linux) and is the one with the huge modding and plugin scene. Bedrock Edition runs on phones, tablets, consoles, and as the Windows 10/11 app, and is built on a completely different codebase. They are not the same game under the hood, and that has real consequences for servers.
Why they can’t just play together
Because the two editions are separate codebases, they speak different network protocols - a Bedrock client can’t connect to a Java server any more than a web browser can open an email as a website. They also differ in the details: redstone timing, combat, some blocks and mechanics behave differently. A world isn’t directly portable between them either.
What Geyser does
Geyser is a clever bridge that translates between the two protocols, letting Bedrock players join a Java server as if they were Java clients; a companion called Floodgate lets them do so without needing a Java account. It works well for vanilla-ish gameplay, though the mechanical differences mean it isn’t perfect. Crucially, Geyser needs its own public network port (Bedrock uses UDP) exposed for the server.
What this means on Levyathan today
Levyathan hosts Java Edition servers, so anyone on Java Edition - on any operating system - can join. Bedrock crossplay via Geyser is on the roadmap but not available yet, because the platform’s single-port networking doesn’t expose the extra Bedrock port per server. We’d rather say that plainly than ship a setting that doesn’t work. If crossplay with phone and console friends is essential to you right now, that’s the one thing to know before you start.
Which should your friends use?
To play together on a Levyathan server today, everyone needs Java Edition. If some friends only own Bedrock (common on console), keep an eye on the roadmap for Geyser support - or, for a purely Bedrock group, a Bedrock-native host is the better fit until then.