Top 10 Shaders for Minecraft

Sep 22, 2021

What Minecraft lacks in graphical quality, it certainly makes up for in replayability and gameplay. However, for some players, graphics are what help immerse them into a game. Which is why developers began creating shader packs for Minecraft. While resource packs add themes, audio, or texture tweaks, shaders add aesthetically pleasing colors and animation to your Minecraft world.

Shaders, also known as shader packs, enhance Minecraft’s visuals and overall graphic settings to provide a more realistic (and usually beautiful) look. Before you can install them, however, make sure you download OptiFine for the Minecraft Launcher or CurseForge.

With so many to choose from, we’ve listed out the top 10 shaders for Minecraft based on their downloads and overall compatibility.

h/minecraft • 91 guides

h/gaming • 266 guides

By Sonic Ether
Game Versions: 1.16, 1.17

If you were to ask a seasoned Minecraft player what their favorite shader pack was, Seus would be the answer. It’s been around for nearly a decade and is still a popular choice for anyone looking for a shader pack that uses traditional rendering methods. There are three versions of Seus, Renewed being the most recently updated one.

By Capttatsu
Game Versions: 1.7-1.17

My personal go-to for shaders is BSL Shaders because of how customizable and low-intensity it is. While playing on a modded server, BSL was the only one to keep my FPS decent. BSL is one of the most compatible PCs. BSL shaders features real-time shadows, motion blur, and customizable clouds and waters.

By Unicornblood2468
Game Versions: 1.2-1.17

Other shaders may focus on skybox appearance and lighting, Beyond Belief Shaders' main focus is the environment and how weather affects it. The ground will appear wet when it rains and water has more physics-based movement. During storms, not only will the ground be wet and muddy, but fog will decrease the player’s visibility. Beyond Belief even has a depth of field feature which blurs everything outside the point of view!

By EminGTR
Game Versions: 1.7-1.17

The goal of Complementary Shaders is to turn the basics of BSL Shaders but make it even more balanced. Its basic goal is to be as beautiful as possible, without impacting performance.

By Ruth
Game Versions: 1.16, 1.17

What makes Molly VX stand out from the rest is how vibrant the colors are. Rather than simulate average coloring in reality, it makes each color stand out. It’s truly worth the Patreon subscription to try out a shader pack that lets you customize everything and maintain a beautiful render of Minecraft.

By squeakypistonmc
Game Versions: 1.15, 1.16

If you’re looking for shaders that don’t alter the default feeling of Minecraft too much, then [SORA Shaders](https://www.curseforge.com/minecraft/customization/sora-shaders is for you. This shader pack isn’t meant for drastic graphical effects. Instead, it’s meant to make the game look improved with small adjustments to lighting and graphics.

By Continuum Graphics
Game Versions: 1.14-1.16

For builders and cinematic Minecraft creators, Continuum is a shader pack to consider. Because of its high graphical intensity, Continuum isn’t meant for regular gameplay. Settings for this shader pack are impressive, letting you choose common camera values like shutter speed and exposure. You can even upload a custom LUT filter into the shader to help your content be as consistent as possible!

By LexBoosT
Game Version: 1.17

For any content creator that plans to create Minecraft videos, AstraLex is the shader pack to use. Created with content creators in mind, AstraLex is unique in that it lets players completely customize to their preference. Multiple visual upgrades are available to improve Minecraft video productions!

By Septonious
Game Versions: 1.7-1.17

While Prismarine does similar things as other shaders, what makes this one stand out is the variety of coloring. Prismarine takes what BSL does and improves upon it. Not only does it add stars and fog to The End dimension, but fog and lighting randomized or based on the immediate surroundings.

By RRe36
Game Versions: 1.12-1.17

For those looking for a shader pack that’s lightweight, consider Vanilla Plus Shader. This pack keeps the game looking like default Minecraft, while improving the skybox and adding dynamic shadows. It also has profiles which mimic popular shaders from the past that are no longer updated. So if you want something that’s easy on your PC while also looks like Seus or Chocapic, then look no further!