How to get real-life water effect in Minecraft

Almost half of the Overworld realm in Minecraft is filled with water bodies. The dimension generates oceans, rivers, lakes, ponds, and even aquifers underneath the surface. However, when you play the vanilla version of the game, even the water looks blocky and pixelated. Though it has flowing physics, it creates sharp edges while it does, which is extremely unrealistic.

Thankfully, there is a way to get realistic-looking water and even have realistic physics using mods and shaders. Here is a guide to get realistic water in Minecraft.

Steps to make Minecraft water realistic

1) Download and install Iris shaders

Iris Shaders installer can install Iris, Sodium, and even Fabric for Minecraft (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming || Iris Shaders)

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First, you need to download and install Iris Shaders. This shader mod comes along with another performance mod called Sodium, which will improve your game's performance when you run a graphics-intensive shader pack.

Download the Iris shader installer from its official website and run the installer. The application will automatically detect Minecraft's root directory and select the latest game version, which is 1.21.6 as of now. Once this is done, select the "Iris only" option and hit install.

The installer will install both the Iris and Sodium mods to run the shader pack smoothly.

2) Download the Complementary Shader pack

Find and download the Complementary Shader pack for Minecraft (Image via Modrinth)

Once Iris is installed, head to the Modrinth website to download Complementary Shaders for Minecraft. This is a popular shader pack that offers a realistic water effect.

This shader pack will be downloaded as a zip file, which you do not need to open since the game detects shader packs as zip files.

3) Open the game and place the shader pack in the correct folder

Run Iris and Sodium modded Minecraft version and copy-paste the shader pack correctly (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming || Mojang Studios)

Once you download the Complementary shader pack, you need to open Minecraft's official game launcher, select Java Edition, and search for "Iris & Sodium" game version from the drop-down menu. The icon of the game version will be that of Iris shaders. When the version is found, you need to run the game.

After the game opens, head to video settings, where you will find a Shaders Pack option. Select it and press "Open Shader Pack Folder". This will open a file explorer page where you will see an empty folder called shaderspack.

You simply need to copy-paste the Complementary shader pack's zip file into this folder and close the file explorer window. When you return to the game and reopen the Shader Pack page, you will see the Complementary shader pack appear in the list of shaders.

4) Configure the Complementary shader pack to get a realistic water effect

Switch to Unbound visual style in the shader pack setting to get realistic water (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming || Mojang Studios)

Once the Complementary shader pack appears as an option, you need to select it and press the shader pack settings. This opens up various kinds of shader video settings you can change. To get a realistic water effect, you only need to change the visual style setting from Reimagined to Unbound.

After it is set to Unbound, save the settings, enable to shader pack, and enter a world to see a realistic water effect in Minecraft.

5) Install Physics mod to get realistic water physics (Optional - for high-end devices)

You can also install the Physics mod to get realistic water and ocean effects (Image via Patreon || Sportskeeda Gaming || Mojang Studios)

If you only want visually realistic water in Minecraft, you can simply turn on Complementary shaders. However, if you are also keen on getting realistic water physics, you can install the pro version of the Physics mod. It is worth noting that this mod is extremely demanding and can tank your game's FPS if running in full effect.

This mod is made by a modder named Haubna. The mod's basic version can be found on the Modrinth website, but its pro version is also for free and can be downloaded from Haubna's Patreon page.

Once the physics mod is installed, it will have a separate settings tab where you can set the ocean and liquid settings to your liking and get realistic water physics.

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About the author

Akshat has been a Minecraft writer at Sportskeeda for almost three years. He has loved gaming since childhood, and the fact that Need For Speed Most Wanted is still installed on his PC is proof that the flame burns strong even today. This love for the racing franchise spilled over to F1 fandom, leading him to cover the sport as well for the company.

Akshat's articles have accrued over 19 million views so far at Sportskeeda. He prefers both solo and multiplayer titles and is a huge admirer of popular gamers Shroud and Philza. Akshat places huge emphasis on accurate, relevant, and ethical content, and does thorough research using social media, videos, and a multitude of websites before writing an article.

Akshat's other hobbies include cars, mechanical keyboards, psychology, and philosophy. He would recommend indie and Slice of Life games to a gaming skeptic because of their ease of play, compelling storyline, and message.

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Edited by Akshat Kabra