Minecraft's biggest graphics overhaul is coming this week

Minecraft is set to introduce the Chase the Skies game drop, one of the biggest updates to the game in decades. Apart from the new happy ghast mob and new items, it is set to introduce Vibrant Visuals, the single biggest visual overhaul to the game in decades. It will add many exciting features, such as volumetric lighting and directional lighting, among others.

Here's everything you need to know about Minecraft's biggest graphics overhaul coming this week.

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Minecraft's biggest graphics overhaul Vibrant Visuals is coming this week

Deferred rendering creates stunning visual enhancements in the game (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming || Mojang Studios)

The Minecraft Chase the Skies game drop arrives on June 17, 2025, and apart from the new mobs and changes, it will introduce Vibrant Visuals, the biggest visual overhaul to the game's look since launch. It uses RenderDragon, a new in-game engine, to offer stunning shader-like visuals, adding properties such as volumetric lighting, directional lighting, and more.

Unlike shaders, which require third-party mods or APIs such as Iris Shaders or Optifine, Minecraft Vibrant Visuals will be implemented natively on all supported devices. This essentially ensures players have access to this visual overhaul without any additional steps or need to download mods. It is set to become the default visual option, allowing fans to enjoy it across supported devices with ease.

The new lighting and reflections overhaul the vanilla world completely (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming || Mojang Studios)

The unique shader-like properties in Minecraft Vibrant Visuals will utilize deferred rendering to create stunning visuals, putting the visual identity of the decades-old sandbox title right next to modern games. It introduces thousands of individually crafted elements while preserving the signature vanilla style. While shaders can transform the world, this update will enhance the current look of the game.

New features such as volumetric lighting will allow players to watch the sun’s rays carve across the overworld and allow every block to cast its own shadow. Additionally, light will shine through the windows, adding to the immersion of buildings and structures.

Apart from this, players will be able to see reflections in water and on the surface of metallic blocks, making them more visually appealing. Additionally, subsurface scattering brings a gentle glow to leaves and grass, resulting in a significant enhancement of the general atmosphere of the overworld.

Vibrant Visuals will transform biomes like deserts and badlands with ease (Image via Sportskeeda Gaming || Mojang Studios)

Alongside the world, mobs and items will also have an array of visual improvements. Spiders will have an increased glow in their eyes in the dark, while torches will cast a radiant path, resulting in better glow and visibility. These improvements have been extended to the deep dark biome as well, with the sculk featuring a more immersive and emissive visual representation.

It is also important to note that Vibrant Visual is essentially a cosmetic upgrade in the game — it will have no change or modifications to the gameplay or in-game performance. Unlike Minecraft add-ons and packs, where Realms servers will require mandatory downloads, players can choose to enable or disable them independently. This makes the gameplay much more accessible.

Note: Vibrant Visuals will currently be available only on Bedrock edition devices. Mojang has confirmed that the Java edition will receive this visual overhaul in a future update.

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