ModsFinder

Iris Shaders

by coderbot

Iris Shaders loads shader packs on top of Sodium, aiming to work with packs written for the OptiFine format, on Fabric, NeoForge and Quilt.

FabricNeoForgeQuiltClient-side onlyGNU Lesser General Public License v3.0 onlyOpen source1.16.5 – 26.3

What it does

Iris adds a shader pack loader to the game client. Shader packs change lighting, shadows, water and sky rendering, and Iris reads packs made for the OptiFine format so existing packs can be used without conversion. Most packs work, and the project keeps public lists of unsupported packs and of known limitations that cannot be fixed.

Sodium is a required dependency, so Iris runs on top of Sodium's renderer. Only players install it, as a client-side only mod, open source under the GNU Lesser General Public License v3.0 only. Files cover 35 release versions in the range 1.16.5 – 26.3; the Quilt build stops at 1.21.11.

Key features

  1. Shader pack loader

    Shader packs placed in the shader folder can be selected and switched in game, changing lighting, shadows and atmosphere.

  2. OptiFine pack format

    Packs written for the OptiFine shader format are read directly, so the large existing library of packs stays usable.

  3. Built on Sodium

    Iris requires Sodium and uses its rendering engine as the base for shader rendering.

  4. Add-on base

    41 catalog mods require Iris, among them Iris & Oculus Flywheel Compat, Colorwheel and Iris/Oculus Shader Folder.

Compatibility

Latest build for each game version and loader.

26.x5 of 5 versions with builds
26.31.11.7+26.3-fabric1.11.7+26.3-neoforgeNot available
26.21.11.4+26.2-fabric1.11.4+26.2-neoforgeNot available
26.1.21.11.4+26.1-fabric1.11.4+26.1-neoforgeNot available
26.1.11.11.4+26.1-fabric1.11.4+26.1-neoforgeNot available
26.11.11.4+26.1-fabric1.11.4+26.1-neoforgeNot available
1.21.x12 of 12 versions with builds
1.21.111.10.8+1.21.11-fabric1.10.8+1.21.11-neoforge1.10.6+1.21.11-fabric
1.21.101.9.7+1.21.10-fabric1.9.7+1.21.10-neoforge1.9.4+1.21.10-fabric
1.21.91.9.7+1.21.10-fabricNot available1.9.4+1.21.10-fabric
1.21.81.9.6+1.21.8-fabric1.9.6+1.21.8-neoforge1.9.5+1.21.8-fabric
1.21.71.9.6+1.21.8-fabric1.9.6+1.21.8-neoforge1.9.5+1.21.8-fabric
1.21.61.9.6+1.21.8-fabric1.9.6+1.21.8-neoforge1.9.5+1.21.8-fabric
1.21.51.8.11+1.21.5-fabric1.8.11+1.21.5-neoforge1.8.11+1.21.5-fabric
1.21.41.8.8+1.21.4-fabric1.8.8+1.21.4-neoforge1.8.8+1.21.4-fabric
1.21.31.8.1+1.21.3-fabric1.8.1+1.21.3-neoforge1.8.1+1.21.3-fabric
1.21.21.8.0+1.21.3-fabric1.8.0-beta.6+1.21.2-neoforge1.8.0-beta.9+1.21.3-fabric
1.21.11.8.14-beta.1+1.21.1-fabric1.8.14-beta.1+1.21.1-neoforge1.8.8+1.21.1-fabric
1.211.8.8+1.21.1-fabric1.8.0-beta.4+1.21-neoforge1.8.8+1.21.1-fabric
1.20.x7 of 7 versions with builds
1.19.x5 of 5 versions with builds
1.18.x3 of 3 versions with builds
1.17.x2 of 2 versions with builds
1.16.x1 of 1 version with builds
ReleaseBetaAlphaNot available

Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.

Requirements

Dependencies declared by the latest file for each loader.

Required 1

SodiumA high-performance rendering engine replacement for Minecraft, which greatly improves frame rates and reduces micro-stutter.
Required

Required by 41 mods

Iris & Oculus Flywheel Compat1.18.2 – 1.21.1Colorwheel1.20.1 – 1.21.1Iris/Oculus Shader Folder1.14 – 26.3Caelum - ArdaCraft Edition1.19.2 – 1.20.1Iris & Oculus Search1.20 – 26.3Photonics: A raytracing engine1.20.1 – 1.21.11

How it compares

Full comparison

Oculus is client-side only as well and uses the same license, but it targets Forge and NeoForge and its files end at 1.20.1. NeOculus is a NeoForge-only build for 1.21.1. Iris itself covers Fabric, NeoForge and Quilt up to 26.3.

ModLoadersGame versionsEnvironmentUpdated
Iris ShadersFabric, NeoForge and Quilt1.16.5 – 26.3Client-side only2026-09-30
OculusForge and NeoForge1.16.5 – 1.20.1Client-side only2024-12-24
NeOculusNeoForge1.21.1Client-side only2025-07-19

Questions

Does Iris need Sodium?

Yes. Sodium is listed as a required dependency, and Iris will not run without it.

Do servers need Iris?

No. Iris is client-side only; shader packs are a rendering change on the player's computer.

Does every shader pack work?

Most packs do. The project publishes a list of unsupported packs and a list of limitations that cannot be fixed.

In the catalog

Iris Shaders is one of 3,545 Optimization mods on ModsFinder, and one of 2,575 Optimization mods for Fabric. 8,071 mods support Minecraft 26.3.

Optimization mods3,545Fabric modsMods for 26.38,071

Similar mods

Sodium1.16.3 – 26.3Entity Cullingb1.7.3 – 26.3FerriteCore1.16.5 – 26.3ImmediatelyFast1.18.2 – 26.3Sodium Extra1.16.2 – 26.3ModernFix1.16.4 – 26.1.2

Official listing

Owner
coderbot
Published
2021-05-27
Updated on Modrinth
2026-09-30
Facts verified
2026-10-15

Tags

DecorationOptimization
Open on ModrinthCompare