Shaders

Shaders are optional visual enhancements that can dramatically improve the look of Minecraft. They add effects like realistic lighting, shadows, water reflections, and atmospheric effects to make the game more visually appealing.

What Are Shaders?

Shader packs modify how Minecraft renders graphics, adding:

• Realistic lighting and shadows - Dynamic shadows that change with the time of day
• Enhanced water - Reflective, transparent water with waves
• Improved atmosphere - Better fog, clouds, and sky rendering
• Visual effects - Bloom, motion blur, depth of field, and more
• Better performance profiles - Options for different hardware capabilities

Performance Considerations

Before installing shaders, consider:

• GPU Requirements - Shaders are GPU-intensive and require a dedicated graphics card
• Performance Impact - Expect a significant FPS drop, especially on lower-end hardware
• Compatibility - Some shaders may not work well with certain mods or configurations
• Visual Artifacts - Some shaders may cause visual glitches or artifacts

Available Shader Packs

The following shader packs are compatible with the modpack. Each offers a different visual style and performance profile:

Complementary Shaders - Reimagined

Style: Vanilla-like, preserving Minecraft's unique visual elements

Complementary Shaders - Reimagined focuses on preserving the unique visual elements of Minecraft while providing a reworked vanilla feel. It's designed to enhance the game without completely changing its aesthetic.

Key Features:

• Preserves Minecraft's blocky, distinct visual style
• High-quality effects with excellent optimization
• Multiple performance profiles (Potato to Ultra)
• Custom effects for almost every block
• Regular updates based on community feedback

Complementary Shaders - Unbound

Style: Realistic, transforming Minecraft's visuals

Complementary Shaders - Unbound is the less restricted style of Complementary that aims for a more realistic image. It transforms the visuals of Minecraft while maintaining exceptional quality and performance.

Key Features:

• More realistic visual style
• Same high-quality effects as Reimagined
• Multiple performance profiles
• Extensive customization options
• Can be customized to match Reimagined style if desired

BSL Shaders

Style: Bright, colorful, and distinct

BSL Shaders is a popular shader pack known for being bright, colorful, and distinct. It offers a unique visual style that's different from other shader packs.

Key Features:

• Bright and colorful aesthetic
• Realtime shadows and volumetric light
• Ambient occlusion and bloom effects
• Customizable clouds and water
• Built-in anti-aliasing
• Additional effects like depth of field and motion blur

Photon Shaders

Style: Semi-realistic, gameplay-focused

Photon Shaders is a gameplay-focused shader pack with a semi-realistic style. It's designed to enhance visuals without being too distracting during gameplay.

Key Features:

• Gameplay-focused design
• Semi-realistic visual style
• Detailed clouds with multiple layers
• Immersive weather system
• Voxel-based colored lighting (with Ultra profile on Iris)
• Screen-space reflections
• Volumetric fog
• Advanced temporal upscaling for low-end devices

Euphoria Patches

Type: Add-on for Complementary Shaders

Euphoria Patches is an add-on for Complementary Shaders that extends it with more optional features and settings. It allows you to edit your graphics settings in more detail, giving you additional customization options beyond what Complementary Shaders offers by default.

Key Features:

• Extends Complementary Shaders with additional features
• More detailed graphics settings
• Additional customization options
• Compatible with both Reimagined and Unbound styles

Installation

Iris (the shader loader) is already included in the modpack, so you can enable shaders directly in-game:

1. Open Video Settings - Go to Settings → Video Settings
2. Open Shader Packs - Click on Shader Packs (or Shaders)
3. Select Your Shader - Choose one of the available shader packs from the list
4. Adjust Settings - Fine-tune the shader settings to match your hardware and preferences

Getting Started

1. Choose a Shader Pack - Pick one that matches your visual preference and hardware capabilities
2. Enable in Settings - Go to Settings → Video Settings → Shader Packs and select your preferred shader
3. Adjust Settings - Fine-tune the shader settings to match your hardware and preferences

Links

• Complementary Shaders - Reimagined
• Complementary Shaders - Unbound
• BSL Shaders
• Photon Shaders
• Euphoria Patches