Community
- Join my discord server for questions, suggestions and development updates
- You can also donate if you would like to say thanks
Frequently asked questions
- "When will Photon be released for new Minecraft version?"
- Shader packs are generally not very dependent on MC versions; as long as Iris is available, Photon should just work.
Features
- Fully revamped sky, lighting and water
- Detailed clouds with several layers and many different cloud types
- Immersive weather system providing different skies each day
- Voxel-based colored lighting (enabled with Ultra profile, requires Iris)
- Screen-space reflections
- Volumetric fog
- Soft shadows with variable-size penumbras
- Detailed ambient occlusion (GTAO)
- Camera effects: bloom, depth of field, motion blur
- Much improved image quality with TAA, FXAA and CAS
- Advanced temporal upscaling (disabled by default) for low end devices
- Extensive settings menu allowing you to customize every aspect of the shader
- Full labPBR resource pack support
Compatibility
Shader loaders
- Iris (recommended)
- Iris is a modern shader loader with far better performance, mod compatibility and developer features than OptiFine
- Some features (Colored Lighting) will only work on Iris
- OptiFine
GPU vendors
- Nvidia
- AMD
- Intel
- NOT compatible with Apple GPUs (Metal)
Mods
Showcase videos
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/vxE_CVeU8Rs" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe> <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/gMLFZMBK-ZQ" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe> <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/_aSmM7jg9Nw" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>Acknowledgments
- Settings menu translations:
- NakiriRuri and OrzMiku (Chinese)
- Jmayk (Italian)
- Timtaran (Russian)
- Emin - Shadow bias method from Complementary Reimagined (fully fixes peter panning and light leaking underground!)
- DrDesten - Depth tolerance calculation for SSR (helps to prevent false reflections)
- Jessie - f0 and f82 values for labPBR hardcoded metals
- Sledgehammer Games - Bloom downsampling method used in Call of Duty Advanced Warfare (described here)
- http://momentsingraphics.de/ - Blue noise texture
- NASA Scientific Visualization Studio - Galaxy image
RP: None
RP: Stay True
RP: Kelly's Java PT Normals
RP: None
RP: None
RP: Xekr Squareful + lush plants, increased contrast
RP: RainbowPixel v3.5
RP: Xekr Squareful + lush plants
RP: None
RP: None
RP: Azuki Sayama, Map: Sayama
RP: OSHACRA-Vanilla3.7
RP: OSHACRA-Vanilla3.7
RP: None
RP: Stay True
RP: Stay True
RP: None
RP: None
RP: None
RP: None
RP: AVPBR Retextured
RP: AVPBR Retextured
RP: AVPBR Retextured
RP: AVPBR Retextured
RP: Conquest Reforged, Map: Ardacraft
RP: Conquest Reforged, Map: Ardacraft
RP: Ultima PBR
RP: PnaPBR
Custom settings
Custom settings
Custom settings
Custom settings
New rainbows in Photon v1.2
Custom settings
Custom settings
Custom settings
| Version | Minecraft | Loader | Download |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Photon Shaders v1.4 v1.4 |
1.16.5, 1.17, 1.17.1, 1.18, 1.18.1, 1.18.2, 1.19, 1.19.1, 1.19.2, 1.19.3, 1.19.4, 1.20, 1.20.1, 1.20.2, 1.20.3, 1.20.4, 1.20.5, 1.20.6, 1.21, 1.21.1, 1.21.2, 1.21.3, 1.21.4, 1.21.5, 1.21.6, 1.21.7, 1.21.8, 1.21.9, 1.21.10, 1.21.11, 26.1, 26.1.1, 26.1.2, 26.2, 26.3
|
iris, optifine
|
Download |
|
photon v1.3b v1.3b |
1.16.5, 1.17, 1.17.1, 1.18, 1.18.1, 1.18.2, 1.19, 1.19.1, 1.19.2, 1.19.3, 1.19.4, 1.20, 1.20.1, 1.20.2, 1.20.3, 1.20.4, 1.20.5, 1.20.6, 1.21, 1.21.1, 1.21.2, 1.21.3, 1.21.4, 1.21.5, 1.21.6, 1.21.7, 1.21.8, 1.21.9, 1.21.10, 1.21.11, 26.1, 26.1.1, 26.1.2, 26.2, 26.3
|
iris, optifine
|
Download |
|
photon v1.3a v1.3a |
1.16.5, 1.17, 1.17.1, 1.18, 1.18.1, 1.18.2, 1.19, 1.19.1, 1.19.2, 1.19.3, 1.19.4, 1.20, 1.20.1, 1.20.2, 1.20.3, 1.20.4, 1.20.5, 1.20.6, 1.21, 1.21.1, 1.21.2, 1.21.3, 1.21.4, 1.21.5, 1.21.6, 1.21.7, 1.21.8, 1.21.9, 1.21.10, 1.21.11, 26.1, 26.1.1, 26.1.2
|
iris, optifine
|
Download |
|
photon v1.3 v1.3 |
1.16.5, 1.17, 1.17.1, 1.18, 1.18.1, 1.18.2, 1.19, 1.19.1, 1.19.2, 1.19.3, 1.19.4, 1.20, 1.20.1, 1.20.2, 1.20.3, 1.20.4, 1.20.5, 1.20.6, 1.21, 1.21.1, 1.21.2, 1.21.3, 1.21.4, 1.21.5, 1.21.6, 1.21.7, 1.21.8, 1.21.9, 1.21.10, 1.21.11, 26.1, 26.1.1, 26.1.2
|
iris, optifine
|
Download |
|
photon v1.2a v1.2a |
1.19, 1.19.1, 1.19.2, 1.19.3, 1.19.4, 1.20, 1.20.1, 1.20.2, 1.20.3, 1.20.4, 1.20.5, 1.20.6, 1.21, 1.21.1, 1.21.2, 1.21.3, 1.21.4, 1.21.5, 1.21.6, 1.21.7, 1.21.8, 1.21.9, 1.21.10
|
iris, optifine
|
Download |
|
photon v1.2 v1.2 |
1.19, 1.19.1, 1.19.3, 1.19.4, 1.20, 1.20.1, 1.20.2, 1.20.3, 1.20.4, 1.20.6, 1.21, 1.21.1, 1.21.2, 1.21.3, 1.21.4, 1.21.5, 1.21.6
|
iris, optifine
|
Download |
|
photon v1.1 v1.1 |
1.19, 1.19.1, 1.19.2, 1.19.3, 1.19.4, 1.20, 1.20.1, 1.20.2, 1.20.3, 1.20.4, 1.20.5, 1.20.6, 1.21, 1.21.1, 1.21.2, 1.21.3, 1.21.4, 1.21.5, 1.21.6
|
iris, optifine
|
Download |
|
photon v1.0a v1.0a |
1.20.1, 1.20.4, 1.20.5, 1.21, 1.21.1, 1.21.2, 1.21.3
|
iris, optifine
|
Download |
|
photon v1.0 v1.0 |
1.20.4
|
iris, optifine
|
Download |