BuryTheLight
BuryTheLight is a Fabric client optimization mod that disables several non-essential internal systems to reduce memory use and raise frame rates.
What it does
Installed on the client, BuryTheLight removes lighting color data from terrain vertex storage, which lowers the VRAM used to hold each chunk, and it meshes chunks with about 20% less work. It also stops the client from storing light biome data, intercepting those packets before they are parsed, which frees a few megabytes of RAM. Item model transforms are cached, and entity rendering uses faster math with backface culling. Sodium is required, and the mod is open source under the GNU Lesser General Public License v3.0 or later.
The mod disables DataFixerUpper entirely. Because of that, a world saved with it cannot be upgraded to newer game versions, and mods that rely on DataFixerUpper may break terrain. The author describes the performance gain as large, at a cost in visual accuracy: entities are always rendered at full brightness, some blocks are tinted incorrectly, tinted blocks still look wrong, and mushrooms cannot be placed. The author notes the mod is most useful on minigame servers where those features are not needed. Files exist for 1.21.4 and 1.21.5, with 0.1.1 for 1.21.5 as the latest file.
Key features
Terrain vertex data reduction
Lighting color data is removed from terrain vertex storage, lowering the VRAM needed to store each chunk.
Faster chunk meshing
Chunk meshing is reported to run about 20% faster with the optimizations enabled.
Cached item model transforms
Item model transforms are cached so they do not have to be recalculated during rendering.
Disabled smooth lighting option
Smooth lighting can be turned off before a world loads, which is part of how the mod saves work.
Gallery
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Requirements
Dependencies declared by the latest file for each loader.
Required 1
Use cases
Who it’s for: Players with limited memory or weaker graphics hardware who accept reduced visual accuracy in exchange for performance.
How it compares
OcclusionX is a client-side only Fabric mod for 1.21, released under the GNU Lesser General Public License v3.0 only and open source. Disable Lighting is also client-side only and open source, published for Fabric 1.21 – 26.3 under the CC0 1.0 Universal license. Iridium is a Fabric mod for 1.21.1 with an optional client or server environment under a custom license that is not open source.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BuryTheLight | Fabric | 1.21.4 – 1.21.5 | Client-side only | 2025-06-10 |
| OcclusionX | Fabric | 1.21 | Client-side only | 2026-03-21 |
| Disable Lighting | Fabric | 1.21 – 26.3 | Client-side only | 2026-09-29 |
| Iridium | Fabric | 1.21.1 | Client or server, optional | 2026-04-22 |
Questions
Does BuryTheLight need Sodium?
Can a world saved with BuryTheLight be opened in a newer version?
Does BuryTheLight need to be installed on the server?
In the catalog
BuryTheLight is one of 3,545 Optimization mods on ModsFinder, and one of 2,575 Optimization mods for Fabric. 15,307 mods support Minecraft 1.21.5.
Similar mods
What the author says
NOTE: When using this mod, disable smooth lighting before loading into a world. BuryTheLight is an "optimization" mod that mostly removes/disables several non-essential internal systems. You can think of it as a (much worse) spiritual successor to Methane. ### Changes - Disables DataFixerUpper entirely - Removes…
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/burythelight
- Owner
- InspectorBoat
- Published
- 2025-04-30
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2025-06-10
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15