How to install Minecraft shaders
Shaders add realistic light, shadows, water and clouds. To load them you need a special mod: Iris (for Fabric, and on newer versions NeoForge too) or OptiFine (for playing without mods or with Forge).
With Why Launcher — in a minute
- Download and install Why Launcher and create a profile with the Fabric loader.
- In Моды, паки и скины (Mods, packs and skins) → Моды (Mods) install Sodium and Iris.
- On the Шейдеры (Shaders) tab search for a shader — Complementary or BSL, for example — and press Установить (Install).
- In game open Options → Video Settings → Shader Packs and pick the shader.
The Why Launcher interface is in Russian, so button names are given in Russian with a translation.
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Manually
- Install Iris: irisshaders.dev has an installer that downloads and installs Iris and Sodium by itself. Or put the Sodium and Iris files into the
modsfolder of a Fabric installation. For OptiFine see its guide. - Download a shader (a
.zipfile) from Modrinth (the Shaders section) or the author’s site. Don’t unpack it. - Put the file into
%APPDATA%\.minecraft\shaderpacks. The easiest way to open it is the button in the shader menu in game. - In game pick the shader in the shader menu and press Done.
If something goes wrong
- Low FPS — pick a lighter profile in the shader settings or a lighter shader, and update the graphics driver. Laptop integrated graphics struggle with shaders.
- Sodium alone without Iris doesn’t load shaders.
- Shaders load the graphics card, not RAM, so there’s no need to give the game more memory for them.
FAQ
Which shaders look best?
The most popular are Complementary Reimagined, BSL and Bliss. For weak computers there are light options such as Complementary with the Potato or Low profile.
Iris or OptiFine for shaders?
On Fabric and NeoForge — Iris: it’s faster and works with Sodium. OptiFine — if you play without mods on older versions or with Forge.