The best version of Minecraft will always be "that one time" when "that one thing happened." Maybe it was in the early beta days, when multiplayer Lego was so novel you couldn't help but be amazed. Maybe it's on the Xbox One, where four-player split screen Minecraft on a couch gives griefing a whole new meaning. Maybe it's ultra-modded Minecraft, where you build a factory, and then a spaceship, and then you fly to Mars.
And maybe you'll have your greatest moments alone by a pond, contemplating the universe, in the new Minecraft on Gear VR.
My first moment of contemplation was, "Woah, these doors are so big. Have they always been this big?" Deep thoughts like that. Minecraft looks identical style-wise, and yet completely different because you're so close to everything. I found myself caring more about how my house looked, and my view of a pond, and where each block was. "Maybe I can really integrate these wood planks into the natural occurring sandstone of this hill."
The Gear VR is surprisingly uncomfortable after you've tried Oculus, or even the Vive. It's hard to imagine spending a lot of time with this much hardware bearing down on your nose. But it is pretty special all the same. Because it's Minecraft. Check out the video above for my full thoughts on mobile VR's killer app.