How to Use the Difficulty Command in Minecraft

This Minecraft tutorial explains how to use the /difficulty command with screenshots and step-by-step instructions.

You can switch between four difficulty levels in the game using the /difficulty command in Minecraft. Let's explore how to use this cheat (game command).

Supported Platforms

The /difficulty command is available in the following versions of Minecraft:

Platform	Supported (Version*)
Java Edition (PC/Mac)	Yes (1.4.2)
Pocket Edition (PE)	Yes (1.0.5)
Xbox 360	No
Xbox One	Yes (1.2)
PS3	No
PS4	No
Wii U	No
Nintendo Switch	Yes (1.5.0)
Windows 10 Edition	Yes (1.0.5)
Education Edition	Yes (1.0.18)

* The version that it was added or removed, if applicable.
NOTE: Pocket Edition (PE), Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Windows 10 Edition are now called Bedrock Edition. We will continue to show them individually for version history.

Requirements

To run game commands in Minecraft, you have to turn cheats on in your world.

Difficulty Command

• Java
• PE
• Xbox
• Nintendo
• Win10
• Edu

Difficulty Command in Minecraft Java Edition (PC/Mac)

In Minecraft Java Edition (PC/Mac), the syntax to change the game difficulty is:

/difficulty <level>

Definitions

• level is the difficulty level to set the game to. It can be one of the following:

  level	Description
  peaceful (also the abbreviations p or 0 in Java Edition 1.12 and older)	Peaceful mode
  easy (also the abbreviations e or 1 in Java Edition 1.12 and older)	Easy mode
  normal (also the abbreviations n or 2 in Java Edition 1.12 and older)	Normal mode
  hard (also the abbreviations h or 3 in Java Edition 1.12 and older)	Hard mode

  TIP: You can no longer use the abbreviations starting in Java Edition 1.13.

Examples

• Java
• PE
• Xbox
• Nintendo
• Win10
• Edu

Example in Java Edition (PC/Mac) 1.13 and 1.14

To change to Peaceful mode in Minecraft 1.13 and 1.14:

/difficulty peaceful

To change to Easy mode:

/difficulty easy

To change to Normal mode:

/difficulty normal

To change to Hard mode:

/difficulty hard

Example in Java Edition (PC/Mac) 1.11 and 1.12

To change to Peaceful mode in Minecraft 1.11 and 1.12:

/difficulty p

To change to Easy mode:

/difficulty e

To change to Normal mode:

/difficulty n

To change to Hard mode:

/difficulty h

How to Enter the Command

1. Open the Chat Window

The easiest way to run a command in Minecraft is within the chat window. The game control to open the chat window depends on the version of Minecraft:

• For Java Edition (PC/Mac), press the T key to open the chat window.
• For Pocket Edition (PE), tap on the chat button  at the top of the screen.
• For Xbox One, press the D-Pad (right)  on the controller.
• For Nintendo Switch, press the right arrow button  on the controller.
• For Windows 10 Edition, press the T key to open the chat window.
• For Education Edition, press the T key to open the chat window.

2. Type the Command

In this example, we will set the difficulty level to Easy with the following command:

/difficulty easy

Type the command in the chat window. As you are typing, you will see the command appear in the lower left corner of the game window. Press the Enter key to run the command.

Once the cheat has been entered, the difficulty mode of the game should be changed. In this example, we've entered the command to change the difficulty level to Easy mode.

You will see the message "Set game difficulty to xxx" appear in the lower left corner of the game window to indicate that the difficulty has changed. The value xxx is the difficulty level that you selected.

Congratulations, you just learned how to use the /difficulty command in Minecraft!