Mastering Minecraft: How to Play in 3rd Person Mode

Curious about how to switch to 3rd person view in Minecraft? Wondering about the advantages and disadvantages of playing in this perspective? This article has got you covered.

From keyboard shortcuts to adjusting the camera angle, we will explore all the tips and tricks you need to know. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned player, there’s something for everyone.

So, let’s dive in and discover the world of Minecraft from a whole new angle!

What Is 3rd Person in Minecraft?

Third person perspective, or simply third person, is defined as a game that gives users the perspective of viewing the player and the player’s environment from a distance. This means that when someone asks ‘how do you go into third person in Minecraft?’, it can be explained that it is a special view feature specifically of the player’s movement in their environment. The default third person mode in Minecraft has an F5 keybind setup to allow alternate views.

How To Go Into 3rd Person in Minecraft?

In Minecraft, to go into 3rd person mode, press the F5 function key. Pressing F5 once changes to third-person mode, pressing a second time changes to the front of third-person, and pressing a third time displays a set of dynamic angles and views. Depending on the game mod and account type, you can remap the key using the settings tab in the menu. There are seven different 3rd person view options to choose from in Minecraft.

Using the Keyboard Shortcut

To go in 3rd person in Minecraft, press the F5 key. The F5{“”]} key toggle switches between 1st person and 3rd person. It changes when you press the key but can be set at will. The Function key is the core key that has a wide range of primary functions, despite being typically accessed with fewer clicks.

The F5 key itself is a keyboard shortcut, thus its major purpose is to deliver a quick way to access the third person behind view as well as other profiles as well.

Using the Command

Going into third person mode in Minecraft using the /thirdperson command is another way to achieve the desired effect. Simply type /thirdperson in the chat window and you will toggle between first and third person in the game. This method is for players comfortable using text-based commands in the game.

The /thirdperson command was originally fixed as a proper code but has since broken in all versions. Wolframent from the gamepedia forum states, /thirdperson [first|third]. Examples: /thirdperson first Toggles you from third person to first person and hides your hand. /thirdperson third Toggles you from first person to third person and shows your hand again. Opposite of f5 button. It is a little buggy and will sometimes toggle you the opposite direction or Change after some other actions are used such as crouching to attack modes like you can only do in first person.

There is no default movement or activity to set this up. The player must trigger it through the console by pressing Esc in the game, selecting the Open to LAN option, checking to turn ON Cheats and entering the command code /thirdperson. This should immediately move the player into third person.

What Are The Advantages Of Playing In 3rd Person?

The advantages of playing in 3rd person in Minecraft are as follows.

1. Improved peripheral situational awareness
2. Judgement of walking/steering path is easier
3. Action-adventure control with two analog sticks provides better movement
4. Attractive and dynamic appearance when streaming or recording gameplay
5. Closer relationship with the character through watching the character do things such as ride on horseback
6. Fandom Video, primary and secondary players
7. Easier mining and easier shooting game controls
8. Learn/Download 3rd-party mods or launchers

Better View of Surroundings

Going into third person in Minecraft allows for better visibility of your surroundings. By toggling the view and expanding the eye level with first person to see ahead of you while your tool or block is in use or to disarm a mob that jumps up on you. This can prevent players from falling off cliffs or platforms when a surprise hazard is presented. Conversely, toggling to third person provides more visibility when climbing up or down ladders or stairs, so you can see entities who might be behind you. This is especially useful in servers or multiplayer where a player may try to troll you with damage, such as punching you down below during a vertical climb. In this case, you would want to use first person to watch for hostile intruders behind you and switch into third person via the ‘F5’ until you feel secure once more using ‘F5’ to switch back.

Easier Navigation

Having another perspective while navigating is also a key reason why gamers go into 3rd person in Minecraft. The overhead view where you can rotate the camera 360 degrees with no physical movement of your character allows you to see all possible things around you and become aware of any potential dangers and hidden caves or villages that are exposed to view from angles that you can’t see in first-person mode.

It helps you understand the three-dimensional perspective of the limited ability of sight your character would have in the real world. Press F5 to enter third person and press the F1 key to hide the GUI (graphical user interface) in third person for even safer navigation.

It would be better if third person mode was closer to the center of the screen when pressing the third person camera key in Java Edition. But if you experience motion sickness even in limited third person, you can turn it on for just a while to let you know where you are and where you need to be.

If used carefully, third person navigation can serve as a useful map feature for locating caves and other points of interest. It is more difficult to use this method of transportation on mobile devices such as iPads and cell phones. After turning third person on, you must swipe left with three fingers (not two as while in first person) in the direction you would like to travel.

Better Perspective for Building

Better perspective is a universal benefit for building and creating in Minecraft. Building in 3rd person view gives you a better measure of the space you are working in. In 1st person, something may appear smaller or bigger than they actually are due to depth perception. You can see the back and side of what you are building which you wouldn’t able to in 1st person. Additionally, you can see behind the tool you are using in case there is item correction necessary.

What Are The Disadvantages Of Playing In 3rd Person?

The main disadvantages of playing in 3rd person are that it makes precise aiming and building difficult. There are other minor disadvantages to playing in 3rd person such as the fact there is more viewing obstruction as there is a body in the way that cannot be turned off. Using your body to move and jump is also more difficult to do with the perspective offered in the third person. It may help to adjust your FOV higher if you want to play in 3rd person but minimize the number of things that take away your view.

Limited Field of View

Definition: Third-person perspective (3PP) view refers to the radius of the character and the distant region around the character being visualized from a direction outside the player’s head. Limited field of view settings in Minecraft’s F3 debug screen can be a means of viewing the game from a third-person view in some sense. An additional tool used regularly to go into 3rd person in Minecraft is to use a mouse and keyboard to move the camera.

Difficulty in Combat

If getting better combat footage is the goal, simply visit any part of Minecraft that is located near a body of water. When third person viewing is active, it effectively doubles the normal field of vision, including roughly 1.1 meters (4 feet) close to Steve’s features. In overwhelmingly close corner areas this allows a player to know at all times, even in intense combat of what is around them. This is especially useful in avoiding or using Creeper blasts as environmental weapons.

How To Adjust The Camera Angle In 3rd Person?

In first and second person views in Minecraft, the camera is pointed directly at the subject. In third person view, this is slightly different, as the camera is aimed 90 degrees off to the subject’s side. In the case of the player Steve skin or Alex skin that is the default in Minecraft, this means sighting the left or right sides of their characters respectively with respect to the viewer’s perspective.

In Minecraft, a player can adjust the 3rd person camera angle by pressing F5 one, two, or three times to point the camera toward the player from different angles. This changes the focal point of the camera. On the 4th press, the player returns to first-person. The 3rd person view behavior can be modified in the options menu by selecting FOV type: classic or quasi-lockdown. Classic FOV type lets the player move the camera, even during movement on the ground, without any change in eye height. Quasi-lockdown moves the camera but does not change the angle of the character’s view, maintaining the same spatial perspective.

Using the Mouse Scroll

To go into 3rd person in Minecraft, a PC user can simply use the mouse scroll to scroll between the various view options. Alternatively, press F5. This is the dedicated key to scroll between all your available views, including one 3rd person view and two camera view options. Go ahead and try it out! Default player view will switch first to 3rd person behind the player, then to 3rd person front view of the player, and finally back to 1st person view. Hopefully, the left hand of the player is not shown. If you wish to shift quickly between each of the three different zoom views or simply want to avoid using the mouse as seen in this doom ellipse (which is understandable given the precision required for other in-game actions), pressing F5 is a nice shortcut.

Using the Keyboard

Minecraft allows zooming out to a third person view using Q to explore the world and surroundings in a more relaxed manner. This will affect the y-axis and is considered a different type of third person view than F5 key third person view where the difference and added value will be explained further on.

The Q button or any binding set within the key bindings to this action activates third person view. Push it again to go to a fixed angle (in x and z planes). Then push it again, and the camera will rotate 90 degrees (either left or right) then present a different view into the game. There are only the three settings to toggle with Q: toggling between over-the-shoulder third person view, free third person view (like taking a video of your in-game character), and the next degree 90-degree rotated fixed view.

Are There Any Tips For Playing In 3rd Person?

Yes, there are tips for playing the third person perspective in Minecraft. The most important tip is to make sure you set your controls appropriately at the beginning, enabling the correct key bindings that will let you easily switch in and out of first person and easily control your view (e.g. you can look to the sky, but move to the right of your view).

Practice and Get Used to the Controls

In the Java version of Minecraft, third person view can be toggled using F5 and you can then switch on the Spotlights and Debug views using Shift + F3 and Fn + F3 respectively. In the Bedrock edition of Minecraft (this includes the Pocket Edition), there are settings that can be used to rotate through the first and third-person views. Specifically, the gameplay settings provide the option to switch to auto-third person once you begin flying, to disallow third-person view entirely, or to allow both first and third person views simultaneously.

You can practice and become accustomed to the control settings in both Java and Bedrock by altering the settings. Spend some time in different views to learn what best meets your personal requirements and the setting parameters you feel comfortable with.

Switch Back to 1st Person When Needed

To switch back to 1st person on a Mac, simply press function + F5 until you are back in first person. On a PC, press the F5 button. When you are playing the game, you can toggle between first and third person by pressing Fn + F5.

There may be times when first person view is more advantageous in the game. Cycling from first to third to first on a PC will give you a better sense of everything around you, give you a more ground-level feel in your gaming, show you objects and targets from different angles, and help communication with team members in multiplayer. When to go back to first person in situations which require better sight in a fight, after completing a fight, in stealth mode to see round corners, during navigation, better assessment of close-encounter opponents, shooting or attacking at short ranges, or a first person view is simply preferred. Switching to first person is especially preferred during Ender Dragon and Raid Boss fights.

You can even effectively shift multiple times between the different Minecraft perspectives depending on what exactly you are doing. The R key will rotate the view on a PC, or you can use the mouse wheel while holding Lt. You can practice looking at different perspectives inside Minecraft to determine what works best for you – hereby backspacing in notepad using a Mac, but using Delete with a PC until you have determined the most effective ways of using first and third person to complete tasks as needed.

Can You Play Minecraft in 3rd Person on Mobile Devices?

Yes, you can play Minecraft in 3rd person on mobile devices. Players running on iOS or Android can easily switch between 1st person and 3rd person mode by using the touch screen.

According to an article by Mike Wehner in Yahoo’s The Loop blog, to put Minecraft in third person mode, double-tap the screen with two fingers, and swipe down with two fingers. For move the camera in the third person mode, use your thumb to swipe in the direction you want to face.

Yes, on iOS

It is possible to go into third person in Minecraft on iOS. To access third person view on Minecraft PE and Windows 10, use the keybind F5. This will cause the camera view to toggle from the player’s front to the player framing the screen, and then to the rear. Systems that do not have function keys, like Apple’s iPad Pro or Windows Surface Pro can access this camera view by first opening the game menu and pressing the camera control icon.

No, on Android

As of 2021, there is no built-in way to go from first person to third person in Minecraft on Android. Whether this might change and if there could be third party apps developed for this possibility in the future is not known at this time. For the foreseeable future, only players on iOS from using one of the 4 steps given above by tapping on …’, Settings, VR Settings. Even with the use of a keyboard and mouse, first person AKA “Perspective 0” is the only perspective available when playing Minecraft on Android as is evident in the following short videos taken in June 2021. Additionally the app Microsoft Mixed Reality Capture Tool is only compatible with iOS for recording third person gameplay.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to Go Into 3rd Person in Minecraft?

To go into 3rd person in Minecraft, follow these simple steps:

1. Press the ‘F5’ key on your keyboard. This will toggle between 1st and 3rd person view.
2. If you are playing on a console, press the ‘View’ or ‘Select’ button to switch to 3rd person view.
3. You can also go into 3rd person by typing ‘/camera’ into the chat. This will allow you to move the camera around freely.

Once you are in 3rd person view, you can use the scroll wheel on your mouse to zoom in or out.

Why would I want to go into 3rd person in Minecraft?

Going into 3rd person can give you a different perspective on your game, allowing you to see your character and surroundings in a new way. It can also be useful for taking screenshots or recording gameplay.

Can I customize my 3rd person view in Minecraft?

Yes, you can change the distance and angle of your 3rd person view by adjusting the ‘Field of View’ and ‘Camera Angle’ settings in the game menu. You can also use mods to further customize your 3rd person view.

Is there a way to go into 3rd person without using the keyboard or controller?

If you are playing on a touch screen device, you can go into 3rd person by tapping the ‘Options’ button and then selecting the ‘Toggle Perspective’ option. This will switch between 1st and 3rd person view.

Can I go into 3rd person while in creative mode?

Yes, you can go into 3rd person in both creative and survival mode. However, some servers may have restrictions on using 3rd person view, so make sure to check with the server rules before doing so.

How do I switch back to 1st person view in Minecraft?

To switch back to 1st person view, simply press the ‘F5’ key on your keyboard again or press the ‘View’ or ‘Select’ button on your console. You can also type ‘/camera’ into the chat and press enter to exit 3rd person mode.