While the Minecraft Bedrock Edition has received ray-tracing with NVIDIA RTX, Minecraft Java Edition has long-benefitted from realistic lighting and shader effects. They effectively add natural lighting, reflections, and more to the game to change it from blocky cartoon world to breathtaking vistas in which you can create anything you want. We've rounded up some of the best shaders available to get you started.
Create to your heart's content
Minecraft Java Edition
Probably the best game ever
Minecraft is the best-selling game ever, and for good reason. It gives you the keys to an infinite blocky world in which you can build essentially anything that pops into your mind. Play it alone or play it with friends; you're going to have a great time.
Sildur's Vibrant
Sildur's Vibrant shader packs can be had in a variety of performance levels, from Lite — ideal for laptops and low-performance PCs — to Extreme for some extra heavy effects. In any case, you're going to get natural lighting that immediately transforms your Minecraft world.
It supports Java versions of Minecraft from 1.7.10 to 1.14.4, so you'll no doubt be able to find something that works without having to use an older client.
Sonic Ether's Unbelievable Shaders (SEUS)
SEUS is an exciting shader that is available in either Renewed or Path Traced Global Illumination (PTGI) versions. Renewed is best for getting optimal performance on your gaming PC, and it's one of the most realistic-looking shader packs available.
If you have a powerful gaming PC — we're talking really powerful — you can give the PTGI version a try. It introduces custom ray tracing that is compatible with both GTX and RTX NVIDIA graphics cards (GPU), and if your PC can run it, it's going to offer the best visuals possible. SEUS seems to currently be compatible with up to Java version 1.13 of Minecraft
BSL Shaders
The BSL Shaders pack is a stellar mod that can be used on both integrated and dedicated graphics, and it brings a ton of improvements to the game. Light is soft and natural, color is deep and rich, and it doesn't go so far as to change the feel of Minecraft.
This is one of the most popular shaders for a reason, and it's certainly worth trying out. The BSL Shaders pack is continuously updated and works with Java versions up to 1.14.
projectLUMA
KUDA Shaders was (and still is) a popular pack for Java Minecraft, but it's been officially replaced by a successor known as projectLUMA. Sky is transformed and the sun emits godrays, water looks fantastic thanks to natural reflections, and it features ambient occlusion and motion blur if that's your thing.
This is a great shader if you're running a lower-end PC and still want a visual upgrade, and it should work with Java Minecraft up to version 1.14.
CrankerMan's TME Shaders
If you have a high-end gaming PC that you'd like to push to its limit, CrankerMan's TME Shaders — which stands for Too Many Effects — is a great option to try, especially if you're just looking to snap some awesome photos and don't mind a framerate in the single digits. This is basically the entire gamut of what's found on other shader packs, so you can expect reflections, blooms, flares, waving foliage, and more.
There are a few levels of performance you can try out based on the type of PC you're running, but in general you're going to want dedicated graphics and otherwise powerful hardware.
Create to your heart's content
Minecraft Java Edition
Probably the best game ever
Minecraft is the best-selling game ever, and for good reason. It gives you the keys to an infinite blocky world in which you can build essentially anything that pops into your mind. Play it alone or play it with friends; you're going to have a great time.
Awesome Minecraft merch
We love Minecraft just as much as you do. These are some of our favorite Minecraft accessories.
Minecraft Guide Book Collection ($25 at Amazon)
Want to learn more about the intricacies of Minecraft? These awesome books make for a great gift, or learning experience for a younger loved one!
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