Why are there so many editions?

Because the game was originally run with Java, it wasn’t made to be ported to other platforms. This is why a lot of the editions vary in content. Compared to the much more fleshed out PC version, console and pocket editions run sorely behind. According to an interview, Microsoft is continuing to strive for feature parity across all of the editions. For anyone that owns the original PC version, they can get the Windows 10 Beta Edition for free from the Windows 10 store.

Currently, you can play Minecraft across Windows, Mac, Linux, Windows 10, Xbox One, Xbox 360, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, Wii U, iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Kindle Fire, and Gear VR.