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How to Change Tick Speed in Minecraft Java Edition

Minecraft Java uses /tick rate for overall simulation speed and randomTickSpeed for crop growth and other random block updates. Here’s how to set each one and what to expect.
WorldMinecraft Java Edition Length2 min Posted Quest giverVGSources Team
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To change the overall simulation speed in Minecraft Java Edition, use /tick rate <rate> in Java 1.20.3 or later, with permission to run commands. To speed up or slow down crop growth instead, change the separate randomTickSpeed game rule.

Change the overall game tick rate

The /tick rate command changes the target rate for the game simulation. Mojang documents a normal target of 20.0 ticks per second and accepts values greater than 1.0 and less than 10000.0. The command was introduced in Java Edition 1.20.3; its availability may depend on the version you are playing.

  1. Open chat in a world where you can use commands, or use the server console.
  2. Enter /tick rate 40 to set a faster target, or /tick rate 10 for a slower one. These are examples, not performance recommendations.
  3. Enter /tick query to check the current target and tick-time performance. In an integrated server, Mojang also points to the F3 + 2 debug screen.
  4. To restore the documented normal target, enter /tick rate 20.

Mojang describes the tick command in the Java Edition 1.20.3 release notes as useful for debugging redstone mechanisms.

Use randomTickSpeed for crop growth

If you only want crops or other randomly updated blocks to change more or less often, use the randomTickSpeed game rule instead. It affects random block updates; it does not speed up the whole game simulation.

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  1. In chat or the server console, enter /gamerule randomTickSpeed to query the rule in your current version.
  2. Set it with /gamerule randomTickSpeed <integer>, replacing <integer> with the value you want.

The current default is not established here, so query your own world rather than relying on a number that may not match your version. The rule’s effects include crop growth and, according to Mojang’s Java Edition 23w31a notes, snow and ice accumulation. For syntax and rule behavior, see the Minecraft Wiki’s gamerule reference.

Understand the trade-offs and command access

Lowering the overall rate

Below 20.0, player movement and input are also simulated at a lower rate, so controls can feel less responsive.

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Raising the overall rate

A higher target keeps player responsiveness at the normal 20 ticks per second, but entity interpolation artifacts can appear. If your system cannot sustain the target, the game may feel unresponsive or crash. Use /tick query, or F3 + 2 in an integrated server, to assess performance.

If /tick is unavailable

Check that you are playing a Java Edition version with the command and that you have elevated permissions, such as operator access on a server or cheats enabled in a world. Mojang’s 23w43a snapshot notes describe the command as administrative/debugging functionality that is not available by default in command blocks or data packs.

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Use tick controls for inspection instead

If your goal is to examine redstone or entity behavior rather than leave the game running at a different rate, the /tick command family includes controls for pausing and advancing the simulation:

  • /tick freeze pauses most gameplay while letting you move around and inspect.
  • /tick step [<time>] advances a frozen simulation by a chosen number of ticks.
  • /tick unfreeze resumes the simulation.
  • /tick sprint <time> runs a chosen number of ticks as fast as possible, then resumes the previous target.

Game-rule names can differ by version. Mojang’s 25w44a snapshot notes describe snapshot-specific registry and naming changes, including minecraft:random_tick_speed; do not assume that snapshot syntax applies to every released version. Query the rule or consult documentation for the version you are using.

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