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The best Minecraft shaders for 1.21Find the best Minecraft shaders for version 1.21

Find the best Minecraft shaders for version 1.21

A Minecraft screenshot of a landscape with Beyond Belief Shaders enabled.

Looking for the best Minecraft shaders in 1.21?A huge part of the charm ofMinecraftis the ‘retro’ feel of the 8x8 pixel textures. However, if you’re looking to add a little sparkle to your game, Minecraft shaders can be just the thing to refresh your playtime. Shaders can vary in detail, from dynamic real-time lighting, ray-traced shadows, and volumetric fog to simple expansions to the standard vanilla experience.

Choosing the best Minecraft shaders for you is vital as unlikeMinecraft texture packs, you can’t layer shader packs on top of one another. This means you can only use one at a time and will have to choose the perfect look for you.

To make this decision easier, we’ve compiled a list of the very best Minecraft shaders along with instructions on how to install shaders to your game to streamline the process and make your time with version 1.21 as aesthetically pleasing as possible.

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The best Minecraft shaders for 1.21

Here are all the best Minecraft shaders you can get for 1.21:

If you want to spend some time comparing the different Minecraft shaders in this list and figuring out which shader pack is best for you, we can help with that. Below is a gallery of screenshots, all of the same Minecraft river scene, but each with different shaders active. Have a flick through the gallery and see which shader pack you like most!

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A screenshot of a river in Minecraft, with some trees on either side of the bank and a hill in the distance.

A screenshot of a river in Minecraft, with some trees on either side of the bank and a hill in the distance, taken using Astralex shaders.

A screenshot of a river in Minecraft, with some trees on either side of the bank and a hill in the distance, taken using Beyond Belief shaders.

A screenshot of a river in Minecraft, with some trees on either side of the bank and a hill in the distance, taken using BSL shaders.

A screenshot of a river in Minecraft, with some trees on either side of the bank and a hill in the distance, taken using Chocapic’s shaders.

A screenshot of a river in Minecraft, with some trees on either side of the bank and a hill in the distance, taken using Complementary shaders.

A screenshot of a river in Minecraft, with some trees on either side of the bank and a hill in the distance, taken using Continuum shaders.

A screenshot of a river in Minecraft, with some trees on either side of the bank and a hill in the distance, taken using DrDesten’s shaders.

A screenshot of a river in Minecraft, with some trees on either side of the bank and a hill in the distance, taken using Exposa shaders.

A screenshot of a river in Minecraft, with some trees on either side of the bank and a hill in the distance, taken using Insanity shaders.

A screenshot of a river in Minecraft, with some trees on either side of the bank and a hill in the distance, taken using MakeUp shaders.

A screenshot of a river in Minecraft, with some trees on either side of the bank and a hill in the distance, taken using Nostalgia shaders.

A screenshot of a river in Minecraft, with some trees on either side of the bank and a hill in the distance, taken using Oceano shaders.

A screenshot of a river in Minecraft, with some trees on either side of the bank and a hill in the distance, taken using Pastel shaders.

A screenshot of a river in Minecraft, with some trees on either side of the bank and a hill in the distance, taken using Potato shaders.

A screenshot of a river in Minecraft, with some trees on either side of the bank and a hill in the distance, taken using ProjectLUMA shaders.

A screenshot of a river in Minecraft, with some trees on either side of the bank and a hill in the distance, taken using RedHat shaders.

A screenshot of a river in Minecraft, with some trees on either side of the bank and a hill in the distance, taken using SEUS shaders.

A screenshot of a river in Minecraft, with some trees on either side of the bank and a hill in the distance, taken using Sildur’s shaders.

A screenshot of a river in Minecraft, with some trees on either side of the bank and a hill in the distance, taken using Sora shaders.

A screenshot of a river in Minecraft, with some trees on either side of the bank and a hill in the distance, taken using Spectrum Master shaders.

A screenshot of a river in Minecraft, with some trees on either side of the bank and a hill in the distance, taken using Sunflawer shaders.

A screenshot of a river in Minecraft, with some trees on either side of the bank and a hill in the distance, taken using SuperDuperVanilla shaders.

A screenshot of a river in Minecraft, with some trees on either side of the bank and a hill in the distance, taken using TME shaders.

A screenshot of a river in Minecraft, with some trees on either side of the bank and a hill in the distance, taken using Triliton shaders.

A screenshot of a river in Minecraft, with some trees on either side of the bank and a hill in the distance, taken using UShader shaders.

A screenshot of a river in Minecraft, with some trees on either side of the bank and a hill in the distance, taken using Vanilla Plus shaders.

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Take a look at each one in more detail below, where you can also download each shader pack and figure out which look is best for your Minecraft world!

AstraLex Shaders

A jungle in Minecraft, with two huge trees poking out of the overgrowth showcasing AstraLex shaders.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A Minecraft village at nighttime showcasing AstraLex shaders.

A birch forest on a river in Minecraft showcasing the AstraLex shaders.

What we like about AstraLex Shaders:

AstraLex Shadersis years old now, and an offshoot of the widely-usedBSL Shaders. What struck me from the beginning was AstraLex Shaders' impressive and comprehensive set of customisation options, which allow to you tweak just about everything you can imagine, from specific lighting tones to various post-processing effects. One of my favourite features is a neat black bar effect which comes into play when you’re crouching. It may seem like a small gimmick, but it quickly became one of the main selling points of this shader pack in my mind.

Beyond Belief Shaders

A goat on the side of a mountain in Minecraft showcasing Beyond Belief Shaders.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A nighttime scene in Minecraft, with the moon rising above the landscape showcasing Beyond Belief Shaders.

A forest next to a river in Minecraft showcasing Beyond Belief Shaders.

What we like about Beyond Belief Shaders:

Beyond Belief Shadersdoesn’t set itself apart from the other Minecraft shaders on this list in any particular way (although the water is particularly lovely). Instead this pack provides players with a simple, pleasant balance between performance, customisation, and good looks.

Beyond Belief is built upon SEUS v11, a precursor to theSEUS Renewedshaders lower down on this list, and both shaders share several traits. However, Beyond Belief adds a few additional settings atop its foundational shader pack, including a desaturation effect at nighttime (which incidentally makes these shaders perfect for a midnightMinecraft fireworksdisplay), and an admittedly basic celshading effect.

BSL Shaders

A Minecraft village on a cliffside showcasing BSL Shaders.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A sunrise over a forest in Minecraft showcasing BSL Shaders.

A ruined Nether portal in Minecraft showcasing BSL Shaders.

What we like about BSL Shaders:

Good lord,BSL Shadersare beautiful. Like,reallybeautiful. When all’s said and done, this is the shader pack that I tend to go back to for my own survival worlds, as well as any Minecraft servers I frequent. BSL Shaders are among the most popular shaders in the world, and it’s easy to see why. Everything included here, from the amazing depth of field effects to the warm, crisp lighting, the beautiful water reflections, and the fluffy far-off clouds, is utterly sublime.

Thanks to the expansive array of customisation options available, BSL Shaders can also run on a wide variety of machines. This pack actually tends to run a little better for me on my (high-end) rig than many other “go-to” shaders on this list. But in this day and age, competition is fiercer than ever for the title of best Minecraft shader pack, and BSL may no longer be the undisputed king, but rather one of several strong contenders.

Chocapic13’s Shaders

A close-up of a river in Minecraft showcasing Chocapic13’s Shaders.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A beach in Minecraft showcasing Chocapic13’s Shaders.

Some grassy coast with a tree in Minecraft showcasing Chocapic13’s Shaders.

What we like about Chocapic13’s Shaders:

Here’s a classic shader pack whose name might be familiar even if you’ve never used Minecraft shaders in your life. The venerableChocapic13’s Shaderspack still stands up today as one of the better options available, thanks to its vibrant but pared-back style and ability to run on a great deal of different hardware setups without too much trouble.

For those looking to really test their machines with the eyecandiest of eyecandy, well, this probably won’t knock your socks off like you’re hoping. But Chocapic13’s shaders somehow create a more relaxing Minecraft than nearly any other shader pack I’ve tried (and I’ve tried a lot). There’s something so serene about this particular combination of swaying leaves, gently shimmering waves, and soft, subtle lighting.

Complementary Shaders

An extreme hills biome in Minecraft showcasing Complementary Shaders.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

Bird’s eye view of a plains landscape in Minecraft showcasing Complementary Shaders.

An aurora-filled night sky in a Minecraft jungle showcasing Complementary Shaders.

What we like about Complementary Shaders:

Complementary Shadersis an offshoot ofBSL Shadersand designed to give users “the most issueless experience possible”. This mod-friendly pack boasts excellent performance, and with just as much opportunity for customisation as BSL, whether you choose BSL or Complementary comes purely down to preference. A great choice for showing off your latestMinecraft housebuild!

The shader pack can also be optionally paired with a Complementary Resource Pack, though you can of course use this shader pack alongside any resource pack you desire. Personally I think it looks great just with the vanilla textures - and yet again, this pack is particularly stunning at night.

Continuum Shaders

A lake between two forests in Minecraft showcasing Continuum Shaders.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A close-up of some tree leaves in Minecraft showcasing Continuum Shaders.

A jungle next to a river in Minecraft showcasing Continuum Shaders.

What we like about Continuum Shaders:

Continuum Shadersused to be far and away the most visually impressive Minecraft shader pack out there, with jaw-droppingly good lighting, water, and weather effects. Unfortunately, all that screenshot exquisiteness came at the cost of supremely low performance.

Nowadays, Continuum runs just fine. It’s still perhaps on the more demanding end of all the packs listed here, but there’s enough room for customisation that you can run it decently on a wide array of gaming rigs. And while it still looks beautiful, it’s no longer far and away the leader when it comes to lighting effects.

That being said, two things still stand out with Continuum Shaders. The first is the cool crispness of the lighting. If you’re a bit tired of Minecraft shaders bathing the landscape in hot orange light, then you might love Continuum’s more realistic approach to lighting. And secondly, the rain is exquisite. When it rains or storms in your world, turn on Continuum Shaders. You won’t be sorry.

DrDestens MCShaders

A plains landscape in Minecraft, with a forest in the distance showcasing DrDestens MCShaders.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A body of water in front of a hilly forest in Minecraft showcasing DrDestens MCShaders.

Some trees on a plains coast in Minecraft showcasing DrDestens MCShaders.

What we like about DrDestens MCShaders:

DrDestens MCShadersare very new compared to most other shader packs on this list, but this pack is well worth checking out for players who want more lightweight options to liven up their Minecraft worlds.

The big drawback of DrDestens MCShaders is also one of its greatest selling points: no shadows. Not bothering with all the real-time rendering of shadows leaves this shader pack looking a little less eye-catching than its peers, but it also frees up a lot of frames, making DrDesten’s Shaders a great choice for mid-to-low-end PC setups. So if you’re hunting for a shader pack that offers a lighter touch, focused mainly on skybox and water effects rather than lighting and shadows, give DrDesten’s a try.

Exposa Shaders

The tops of snow-capped trees in Minecraft showcasing Exposa Shaders.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

Two trees in a Minecraft landscape showcasing Exposa Shaders.

A jungle landscape in Minecraft showcasing Exposa Shaders.

What we like about Exposa Shaders:

InstallingExposa Shaderswill give your sunrises and sunsets an immediate pop of colour. Thanks to this pack’s lovely skybox, nice cloud textures, and some effective (but not overpowering) lens flare effects, the beginning and end of the Minecraft day quickly became my favourite times to be out and about.

As far as performance and customisation options go, Exposa Shaders are… okay. There are enough settings to give the overall look some preferential tweaks and eke out a few extra frames. I was also able to run the shaders on max settings with my 2060 Super, although not at quite the same frame rate as I could get from various other shader packs on this list. That said, if it works well with your machine and you enjoy a nice orange sunset, then Exposa Shaders are a great choice.

Insanity Shaders

Close-up of some grass next to a river in a foggy Minecraft landscape showcasing Insanity Shaders.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A foggy Minecraft plains biome showcasing Insanity Shaders.

A foggy Minecraft landscape with a single tree in the foreground showcasing Insanity Shaders.

What we like about Insanity Shaders:

Well now, here’s a shader pack that looks decidedly different from most, wouldn’t you agree?Insanity Shaders, based onBSL, has been designed to turn your Minecraft survival adventure into an unsettling, brooding horror-esque experience. Those screenshots above? They were taken during the day. The nights are far darker - be sure to bring torches to light your way.

Given its very pointed aesthetic, you’ll either love or hate using Insanity Shaders. It certainly conjures a very immersive and foreboding atmosphere, and the level of customisation is quite impressive, so if you’re looking to tone down the vibrancy of Minecraft and give it more of a gloomy demeanour, Insanity Shaders are simply the best choice.

MakeUp Shaders

A Minecraft extreme hills landscape with a tree in the foreground and a village in the background showcasing MakeUp Shaders.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A Minecraft beach at sunset showcasing MakeUp Shaders.

A mesa biome in Minecraft, with a tall square-like rock on the left-hand side showcasing MakeUp Shaders.

What we like about MakeUp Shaders:

The result is a shader pack that doesn’t blow you away with incredible visuals, but instead strikes a nice balance between making your default Minecraft world look a lot crisper and nicer, and keeping the frame rate smooth enough to enjoy playing with it enabled.

Nostalgia Shaders

A close-up of the treetops of a Minecraft forest, with the clouds and sun above showcasing Nostalgia Shaders.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

The sun rises over a snowy Minecraft forest showcasing Nostalgia Shaders.

A bird’s eye view of a Minecraft jungle at sunset showcasing Nostalgia Shaders.

What we like about Nostalgia Shaders:

Nostalgia Shadersgive you an extremely lightweight and wonderfully subtle graphical overhaul for your Minecraft worlds. Designed to emulate the first few popular shader packs of the early 2010’s, Nostalgia may be a little lacking in the customisation department compared with others on this list, but the flipside of this is that you don’t need to do much tinkering to get a great-looking Minecraft experience that chugs along well on most PCs.

Oceano Shaders

A bird’s eye view of a Minecraft forest on the edge of an ocean showcasing Oceano Shaders.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A Minecraft ocean coast at night showcasing Oceano Shaders.

A Minecraft extreme hills landscape surrounded by water, with two lavafalls pouring out of the cliffsides showcasing Oceano Shaders.

What we like about Oceano Shaders:

As the title might suggest,Oceano Shadersgive Minecraft’s water surfaces a much-needed makeover. From a distance, they’re possibly the best shaders out there for oceans, though I’ll admit this pack does look a little stange with smaller bodies of water.

Nevertheless, the overall look and feel of this shader pack more than makes up for these occasional anomalies. Oceano Shaders feels a bit like a cross betweenContinuum ShadersandSEUS(the latter of which you’ll meet shortly below), but comes away looking very much like its own thing. It’s a great pack to install if you want to explore the depths of the ocean for rare sights likeBuried Treasure,Axolotls, and other seafaringMinecraft mobs.

Pastel Shaders

An extreme hills biome in Minecraft, with roses in the foreground showcasing Pastel Shaders.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

Some sugarcane on a coast in Minecraft with Pastel Shaders installed.

An extreme hills biome in Minecraft with Pastel Shaders installed.

What we like about Pastel Shaders:

At the time of writing,Pastel Shadersis more or less completely unknown on CurseForge, with a scant 650 downloads to its name. But I wanted to give this new shader pack a big shout out for its lovely colour presets - rose quartz, lemon, and periwinkle - which allow players to very easily colour grade their Minecraft worlds without spending ages tweaking settings.

Pastel Shaders doesn’t come with all the bells and whistles of the biggest Minecraft shaders out there such asBSLandContinuum- but it keeps things looking nice and characterful while providing solid performance on a wide range of modern PCs.

Potato Shaders

A small river cuts through a rocky Minecraft landscape.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

An extreme hills biome in Minecraft with a cave cutting through the hill.

The sun rises over a Minecraft forest with Potato Shaders installed.

What we like about Potato Shaders:

Potato Shadersgive players another option when it comes to the most lightweight shader pack possible, enhancing the look of any Minecraft world even on the humble potato setup. It does a very admirable job of this worthy goal, going the same route asDrDesten’s Shadersin omitting dynamic real-time shadows to help improve performance.

You should never expect Potato Shaders to look as good as the more intensive Minecraft shader packs on this list, but the name likely gives that away. I’m not a fan of the very blurry water, which seems out of place compared with the clean lines of the rest of the landscape, but that’s a tolerable flaw. Other features in this pack make up for the wonky water, especially the surprisingly good fog effects, which truly shine during periods of bad weather. In any case, this is about as lightweight as good Minecraft shaders can get, so if your setup is something of a spud, give Potato Shaders a go.

ProjectLUMA Shaders

A single tree in a Minecraft plains biome with projectLUMA Shaders installed.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A Minecraft extreme hills landscape, with lava flowing from the central hill.

The sun reflected off the ocean next to a Minecraft forest landscape.

What we like about projectLUMA Shaders:

The official successor of the venerable KUDA Shaders,projectLUMA Shadersaims to give Minecraft as much of a visual pop as possible without tanking your computer. Unlike some other shader packs, the results here are extremely positive. If you want to start a new survival save that you intend to play for a long time, projectLUMA’s a fine choice to make all of your interactions shine, from building your first house to fighting theWither boss.

Rather than opting for the fluffy marshmallow clouds present in most shaders, projectLUMA gives you photorealistic skyboxes, matched with excellent lighting options that give the landscapes below an amazing sense of life and colour. It’s not quite as beautiful as you head underground (unless you reach something truly noteworthy, like anAmethyst Geode) but the skyboxes alone make this shader pack worthy of inclusion in this list.

RedHat Shaders

A Minecraft forest screenshot, taken from above the treetops with RedHat Shaders installed.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A shot of a Minecraft landscape from close to the ground with RedHat Shaders installed.

A bird’s eye view of a Minecraft landscape, with sand in the foreground, forest in the background, and a lake on the left-hand side.

What we like about RedHat Shaders:

RedHat Shadersare an edit of theChocapic13 Shadersthat appeared earlier in this list, and the two packs look very similar indeed. Both give Minecraft’s landscapes a lovely neat lighting and shadows overhaul, but RedHat Shaders pushes the boat out a little further with extra (toggleable) features like godrays, lens flares, film grain, light absorption through water, and more.

There’s certainly a lot to like about RedHat Shaders, although with all the extra bells and whistles it’s not exactly the most well-optimised shader pack on this list. It makes up for this with a good set of customisation options which allow you to tone down or turn off various effects, so you can stay focused on the lovely sharp shadows, warm sunlight, and swaying leaves.

SEUS Renewed

A Minecraft lake surrounded by plains and hills with SEUS Renewed shaders installed.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A Minecraft cliff, with a tree on the very edge of the cliff with SEUS Renewed shaders installed.

A Minecraft forest landscape with the sun lighting up the sky in the background with SEUS Renewed shaders installed.

What we like about SEUS Renewed:

Sonic Ether’s Unbelievable Shaders, or SEUS for short, is the starting point for many players first dipping their toes into the Minecraft shaders ocean. This shader pack goes for a very clean and familiar look that’s less flashy than many on this list but just as beautiful, particularly in motion. It makes even mundane tasks likemining for Diamondsor wandering about avillagelook gorgeous.

SEUS Renewed is a recent reinvention of the original versions of SEUS, focusing on striking a strong balance between effect quality and performance. It doesn’t feature the same level of customisation as shader packs likeBSL, but you’re guaranteed that things will look great right out of the gate, no tweaking of settings required. The skies are bright and bold, the shadows add a new level of depth to the world, and the gentle flapping of the leaves in the wind will really help you lose yourself in a vast survival experience.

Sildur’s Shaders

The sun rises over a Minecraft forest with Sildur’s Shaders installed.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A bare island in Minecraft, with a single tree in the centre with Sildur’s Shaders installed.

A bird’s eye view of a Minecraft forest with Sildur’s Shaders installed.

What we like about Sildur’s Shaders:

Sildur’s Shadersis an extraordinarily popular pack and always has been. And it’s clear why. Not only does this shader pack give Minecraft a much-needed and incredibly comprehensive makeover, but it’s also made a name for itself as one of the most customisable and flexible packs around.

That’s really where Sildur’s success lies. After all, every single shader pack on this list looks beautiful. But with Sildur’s, it’s very easy to spend ages tweaking little settings to achieve the absolutely perfect look for you and your Minecraft world. On theSildur’s Shaders websiteyou’ll find six different versions of the mod to try out, from Lite to Extreme, so no matter your specs you’ll be able to run Sildur’s with little effort. And even at maximum settings, Sildur’s is remarkably lightweight and scores massive points for performance compared to most other Minecraft shadermods.

Sora Shaders

A river in a Minecraft landscape, with a ruined portal on the right-hand side with Sora Shaders installed.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A Minecraft savanna biome landscape with Sora Shaders installed.

A birch forest on the edge of a river in Minecraft with Sora Shaders installed.

What we like about Sora Shaders:

An edit of projectLUMA Shaders,Sora Shaderssimply does nothing wrong that I can see. This shader pack just looks like it has absolutely nailed everything it’s set out to do, and whether you go with this or a different set of shaders depends entirely on personal preference.

Amazingly good-looking skyboxes and wonderful subtle lighting effects in this pack give Minecraft an entirely new atmosphere. The water looks lovely, the shadows and reflections are realistic rather than stylised (again, it comes down to personal preference), and everything just appears super crisp and clean and colourful. Perfect for starting up a new Minecraft world.

Spectrum Shaders

A snow-covered forest in Minecraft with Spectrum Shaders installed.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A treeless island in the middle of an ocean in Minecraft with Spectrum Shaders installed.

A savanna biome in Minecraft with Spectrum Shaders installed.

What we like about Spectrum Shaders:

Spectrum Shadersis one of the most realistic packs on this list - not in terms of pure visual fidelity, but in terms of style. The clouds in particular are convincingly lifelike, combining “traditional” fluffy clouds with long streaks of cloud moving about the world while you play.

The water is also done very well in Spectrum Shaders. In fact, just about everything is done well here, from the subtle waving of leaves and grass to effective colour changes from night to day and vice versa. If these environmental effects are your cup of tea, give Specrum Shaders a try.

Sunflawer Shaders

A Minecraft hills landscape surrounded by a river with Sunflawer Shaders installed.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

An orange sky over a coastal scene in Minecraft with Sunflawer Shaders installed.

A forest landscape in Minecraft with many tall trees and Sunflawer Shaders installed.

What we like about Sunflawer Shaders:

Sunflawer Shadersis yet another shader pack that’s build upon the framework of the uber-popularBSL Shaders. As a result, it’s highly performant and customisable, but out of the box it looks rather different, with a more vibrant and diverse skybox and some marked changes to the look of shadows, reflections, and water.

I’ll be honest, I’m not a big fan of the look of the water in Sunflawer Shaders, but you may disagree. The rest of the pack still looks as stunning as its foundational shader pack - just a different flavour of stunning, and one which you might or might not prefer.

Super Duper Vanilla Shaders

A mega taiga biome in Minecraft with Super Duper Vanilla Shaders installed.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A night sky over a coastal forest in Minecraft with Super Duper Vanilla Shaders installed.

A rocky Minecraft landscape with a river in the background and Super Duper Vanilla Shaders installed.

What we like about Super Duper Vanilla Shaders:

The simply but effectively namedSuper Duper Vanilla Shadersis one of the few newer shader packs that isn’t built off the success of one of the previous generation of shaders. Effective, usable on a wide variety of PCs, and highly customisable, this pack really is as super as its name suggests.

TME Shaders

A Minecraft plains biome on the edge of the sea with TME Shaders installed.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

An archway through a cliff in the middle of a lake in Minecraft with TME Shaders installed.

A Minecraft hill in the foreground, with a snowy landscape in the background and TME Shaders installed.

What we like about TME Shaders:

TME Shadersare another edit ofChocapic’s Shaders, and they’re a good choice for players who don’t want to bother with lots of customising to find the perfect look for their shader pack. I mean seriously, TME Shaders have barely any settings at all.

Nevertheless, I can’t argue that this is a good-looking, level-headed edit, especially if you suffer from choice paralysis. Details remain crisp and clear all the way to the horizon with TME Shaders installed, and the water looks excellent from a distance, making it a great option for screenshots, particularly if you’re not on a very high-end rig.

Triliton’s Shaders

A Minecraft extreme hills biome, with a waterfall running from the top of the hill down into the river below.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A ruined portal in the middle of a Minecraft plains biome with Triliton’s Shaders installed.

A Minecraft forest landscape with a river running through it with Triliton’s Shaders installed.

What we like about Triliton’s Shaders:

Triliton’s Shadersare attention-grabbing, to say the least. The saturation and temperature levels have been cranked up to 11 with this shader pack, with yellow and orange light washing over every crevice of your Minecraft world when the sun rises above the horizon.

When I tested this pack there was some definite glitchiness occurring with the shadows, but otherwise the experience was a good one. At first, it was difficult to get used to the incredible vibrancy and high saturation of everything in sight of that bright sun. But after a while, it became more difficult to go back to the way things were with other packs, and everything felt more washed out in comparison to Triliton’s Shaders. Is this how they get you?

UShader

A river on the edge of a forest in Minecraft, with extreme hills on the left in the distance.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A close-up of some grass and a birch tree beside a river in Minecraft.

A forest scene in Minecraft with UShader shaders installed.

What we like about UShader:

UShaderis, curiously, based on a modified version of SEUS v10.1 (a precursor toSEUS Renewed) which the author used to use privately for their Minecraft exploits. But it’s not an edit - this pack was built from scratch as a direct competitor, and it puts up a good fight against its spiritual predecessor.

Where UShader shines most is in the sky, with some very convincingly shaped and coloured cloud formations and a bright, realistically indistinct sun that bathes the landscapes below in natural light. I think the shadows leave a bit to be desired overall when compared to SEUS Renewed, so there’s a bit of a tradeoff there. But this is still a very respectable choice of shader pack for any player who can run it (we’re probably looking at mid-to-high end PCs with this one).

Vanilla Plus Shaders

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

The sun rises over a hilly Minecraft forest with Vanilla Plus Shaders installed.

Image credit:Rock Paper Shotgun/Mojang Studios

A river in Minecraft which cuts through a roofed forest biome with Vanilla Plus Shaders installed.

A bird’s eye view of a Minecraft forest with Vanilla Plus Shaders installed.

What we like about Vanilla Plus Shaders:

Another popular shader pack from the creator ofNostalgia Shaders,Vanilla Plus Shadersaims to give you a high-quality, elegant, lightweight Minecraft graphics makeover while staying as true as possible to vanilla Minecraft. And this it does with outstanding success.

I contend that this is what Minecraft should look like all the time, right out of the gate. You’d be forgiven for looking at the above screenshot after a long while spent away from Minecraft, not noticing the shader pack, and instead saying to yourself, “mygod, I forgot how good Minecraft looks sometimes.” While testing packs for this guide, I think I spent about 10 minutes longer wandering the world on Vanilla Plus Shaders than I did with any other shader pack, looking at random blocks likeEnchanting TablesandLightning Rodsto see what they looked like now. It’s impressive how good this pack makes Minecraft look without losing the charm and nostalgic feel of plain-old vanilla Minecraft.

How to install Minecraft shaders

You can install and use any of the shaders listed here with Minecraft 1.21 right now, using eitherSodiumorOptifine. We’ll cover both options below.

How to install Minecraft shaders with Sodium and IrisShaders

We recommend you use Sodium to install shader mods for Minecraft, because it seems to be able to run the packs better. Thanks to a mod calledIrisShaders, you can run any of the above shaders on Sodium.

Here’s how to install any of the above Minecraft shader packs with Sodium for 1.21:

These steps will install Sodium and IrisShaders in one go, so you’ll be able to enjoy the performance benefits of Sodium and the beauty of the above shaders all at once. Pretty sweet, eh?

How to install Minecraft shaders with Optifine

Here are the instructions for installing Minecraft shaders with Optifine:

The shader packs listed here cover the entire spectrum in terms of looks, customisation options, and performance impact, so hopefully you’ve found the perfect mod for you. If you want to experiment with a wide variety of seeds to really put these packs to work, see our guide for thebest Minecraft seeds for 1.2. We also have lists of the bestthings to build in Minecraft, as well ascastleandtower ideasif you’re looking for inspiration for your next building project!