How to use shaders in Minecraft 1.21.6

Mojang recently released the game drop for Minecraft 1.21.6, Chase the Skies. This version includes several new features, such as the Tears music CD, Vibrant Visuals for the Bedrock Edition, happy ghasts, craftable saddles, harnesses, and dried ghasts. Mods, resource packs, and shaders have already started to be updated by the modding community to work with the most recent game version.

Shaders have always been an important part of modding Minecraft Java Edition, since they drastically enhance the visual fidelity of the block game. Though the Chase the Skies game drop was released a few hours ago, you can already start enjoying the update with shaders.

Here is a guide on installing shaders for Minecraft 1.21.6.

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Steps to use shaders in Minecraft 1.21.6

1) Find and download Iris Shaders with Sodium mod

Iris Shaders is a mod to run shaders in Minecraft (Image via Iris Shaders)

The Iris Shaders Installer must first be downloaded from the official website. With the help of the mod Iris Shaders, you can use any shader pack in the game. Since Iris and Sodium Mod have a partnership, Iris's installer will be used to install both.

Begin downloading the installer, a little setup file, by clicking the "Download Now" button after visiting the website.

2) Installing Iris Shaders

Iris Shaders installer can install Iris, Sodium, and even Fabric for Minecraft 1.21.6 (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming || Iris Shaders)

When you launch the installer after downloading it, a dialog window similar to the one in the image will appear. The installer will identify where the official Minecraft game directory is on your computer and automatically set the most recent version of the game, which is 1.21.6.

You can either install Iris and Sodium or both of those mods with the Fabric mod loader. You must switch the installation type to "Iris + Fabric" if you wish to download and run additional mods afterwards. Installing Iris alone will install Sodium automatically if you only want the shader support and performance increase.

3) Find and download any shader pack for Minecraft 1.21.6

Find and download any shader pack for Minecraft 1.21.6 (Image via Modrinth)

After installing Iris shaders, head to Modrinth or CurseForge websites to download any shader pack that you like. These shader packs will be downloaded as zip files, which you don't need to open. The zip files will be directly copied and pasted into Minecraft's official directory.

4) Open modded Minecraft 1.21.6 to open the shader pack folder

Run Iris and Sodium modded Minecraft 1.21.6 from the game launcher (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming || Mojang Studios)

Once you download your desired shader pack, you can open Minecraft's official game launcher, select Java Edition, and search for "Iris & Sodium for 1.21.6" game version from the drop-down menu, and run the game.

Once the game opens, head into the video settings, which will look quite different because of the Sodium mod. Find "Shader Pack" settings and select "Open Shader Pack Folder." This will minimize your game and open an empty folder where you need to copy-paste the downloaded shader pack.

Finally, head back to the game, activate the shader pack from the settings, and enter a world to enjoy Minecraft 1.21.6 with stunning graphics.

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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