Minecraft player compares old and new textures of iconic blocks in the game

Minecraft has had a lot of updates over the years, and while most of them have been focused on adding in new content, some have introduced changes to the game's textures as well. Given how spread out these modifications tend to be, especially the major ones, it can be easy to forget just how many different textures have been updated since the start.

Minecraft old vs new textures byu/shorthairjapangirl inMinecraft

A recent post made by u/shorthairjapangirl on the Minecraft subreddit showcased a direct comparison between the original and modern textures of many iconic blocks in the game. While most of the changes are quite minor, there are a few major ones worth discussing.

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Minecraft's biggest texture changes

Many of the game's older textures were very different than they appear now (Images via Mojang)

Sponges, useful for clearing out oceans to make Minecraft guardian farms, used to have a much brighter and rougher texture. On the other hand, the older cactus texture was not only more vibrant but also looked sharper and more dangerous.

When Minecraft's ores were redistributed, they also got a huge texture update. All the ores used to share the same texture previously, just with different colors, but they now all have visually different textures. This is a huge win for accessibility and helps players distinguish the ores from one another in-game.

Given how major these changes are, it's no wonder that developer-inspired texture packs are among Minecraft's best resource packs.

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Surprisingly minor changes

Most of the texture changes are minor in nature (Image via Mojang)

For as often as the community mentions texture changes being massive, there is really an abundance of textures that have only received small tweaks. Among the textures featured in the post, some good examples of this would be blocks like ice, used in Minecraft nether hub tunnels, glass, noteblocks, furnaces, TNT, glowstone, redstone lamps, and melons. All of these textures were updated to be smoother so they would fit in with modern aesthetics, but they remain largely faithful to the original.

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Community reaction

Comment byu/shorthairjapangirl from discussion inMinecraft

Most of the community reacted with a mix of nostalgia and relief. Players associate the rougher, harsher, and oftentimes more vibrant textures that the game used to have with their childhood and introduction to Minecraft. As a result, those older textures are largely appealing, even outside of their programmer art charm.

But the newer textures do make playing the game more enjoyable. The older textures could be harsh on the eyes over time, especially the netherrack texture, which could destroy any sort of depth perception in the old Nether. In fact, the netherrack change is one of the reasons why the modern Nether is worth exploring for Minecraft bastion loot, as it's easier to spend a prolonged time in the dimension.

Comment byu/shorthairjapangirl from discussion inMinecraft

Most agree that the newer textures are better.due to their smooth appearance. They cause lesser eye strain and blend better. The charm of the older textures makes developer art worth using from time to time though.