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There are many Minecraft shaders, but generally, they all have the same goal - to enhance Minecraft graphics to look less simplistic. Though shaders are not essential to gameplay, they can significantly improve the appearance of any Minecraft world.
Since there are so many different shaders packs, it can be hard for Minecraft players to choose which ones suit their world the best. This list highlights the five best-looking and best running shaders for mid-range PCs as of May 2021.
Minecraft shaders every player should try
#5 - DMS Shaders
Created by Minecraft user DatWeirdPerson, DMS shaders is an excellent option for players without heavy-duty PCs who wish to make their Minecraft world look better without a ton of lag.
DMS shaders provide the user with a standard, yet still pretty ideal, shaders experience. As shown above, some features of this pack include sunbeams permeating forests and a slight change to some plants to give the game a more realistic and immersive feel.
These unique shaders also pack mild changes to the tone of the Minecraft world. When applied, it desaturates colors and fades visuals of the game. This pack is perfect for a player going for a Dungeons & Dragons-esque dark fantasy feel.
#4 - Sonic Ether’s Unbelievable Shaders
Sonic Ether’s Unbelievable Shaders lives up to its name. It truly gives any Minecraft world an unbelievable feel. This pack changes the feel of the world immensely, taking it from bland, boring old Minecraft to something truly breathtaking.
Shaders packs often change the look of water and sky, but Sonic Ether does it especially well. This pack decorates the sky with almost photorealistic clouds and changes the world's water to look clear and fluid.
This pack is an excellent choice for players who want to make their Minecraft world look more like the natural world around them.
#3 - KUDA Shaders
While the previous mod on this list makes the natural Minecraft world look more realistic, KUDA shaders better fit those with a knack for building complex structures.
KUDA shaders change any normal Minecraft build into art by combining complex and dynamic lighting with slight texture changes. These changes, though subtle, really do add something to the Minecraft world, especially one dominated by player-built cityscapes.
Not only does this mod improve builds, but KUDA also has a few unique features that spice up the game beyond any player’s wildest dreams. For example, KUDA shaders add lighting that makes armor gleam.
Another interesting feature is the Minecraft weather. After it rains, players who use KUDA shaders can find puddles of water around their world, improving the realism lacking in vanilla Minecraft’s rain.
#2 - Chocapic13’s Shaders
If a player wishes to take their Minecraft world’s aesthetic from good to great, Chocapic13’s Shaders is an artful choice. This pack combines various great aspects from other types of shaders into one brilliantly put-together mod.
Chocapic13’s Shaders add an incredibly stunning night sky to the player’s Minecraft world with too many stars to count. Imagine being somewhere secluded from any city lights and looking up at the sky - that’s what this shaders mod makes every Minecraft night look like.
Rain is another beautiful aspect of Chocapic13’s Shaders. This pack adds a mysterious fog that covers the world when the rain starts coming down. This can improve the player's gameplay experience by making mobs sheltering from the rain even more terrifying.
The only drawback that can be gleaned from Chocapic13’s Shaders is that, on a lower-end PC, it can cause quite a bit of lag. Chocapic13’s Shaders is recommended for mid-range PCs and above.
#1 - Sildur’s Shaders
Sildur’s Shaders is probably one of the best shaders mods available for Minecraft as of May 2021. This mod not only enhances the world with beautiful graphics and texture changes but also allows the player to customize what the shaders look like. This makes for a mod that can be suited to the player’s needs.
Sildur’s shaders is another pack that excels in making the water look like it does in real life, except Sildur does it better than the rest. The best part is that players can even opt for more cartoonish water, like vanilla Minecraft, if they so wished.
Specific effects can also be enabled or disabled, making this pack incredibly versatile. One such feature is realistically updated textures. Desert sands can go from flat and dull to something that looks straight out of a movie.
The pack also does dynamic lighting and shadows far better than the competition. With added lens flares and reflections, almost no part of the player’s world is left untouched by Sildur’s shaders.
Sildur’s Shaders is also very easy to use and accessible, in part thanks to the various aspects that players can change, enable, or disable. This means that if a player is unsure of exactly how well their PC runs, Sildur’s is still a great choice and a fantastic way to figure out what works.
