Minecraft Shader Pack

Photon Shaders by sixthsurge

A gameplay-focused shader pack with a semi-realistic style

Downloads: 22890620 · Followers: 3880 · updated 4 months ago · Latest: gUv7fBPN

About Photon Shaders

Photon Shaders is a Minecraft shader pack published on Modrinth by sixthsurge. A gameplay-focused shader pack with a semi-realistic style

On the technical side, Photon Shaders ships for Iris Shaders, OptiFine. Runs on the player's Minecraft client. Does not need to be installed on the server.

Photon Shaders maintains compatibility with 33 Minecraft releases, from Minecraft 1.16.5 up to Minecraft 26.1.2. Always download the file that matches your Minecraft version, and re-check the version dropdown after any Mojang release to avoid crash-on-launch bugs.

Content-wise, Photon Shaders is categorized as Atmosphere, Colored Lighting, and Semi Realistic. That means it fits neatly into a wider Minecraft shader pack category so you can pair it with other shader packs from the same tag on this site.

Popularity: Photon Shaders has been downloaded 22.9M times on Modrinth and was updated 4 months ago. Large download counts combined with recent updates are a strong signal that sixthsurge is actively maintaining Photon Shaders.

Full description (from sixthsurge)

Community

* Join my [discord server](https://discord.gg/ngEW66HScd) for questions, suggestions and development updates * You can also [donate](https://ko-fi.com/sixthsurge) 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](https://irisshaders.dev/download) (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](https://optifine.net/home)

GPU vendors

* Nvidia * AMD * Intel * **NOT** compatible with Apple GPUs (Metal)

Mods

* [Voxy](https://modrinth.com/mod/voxy) * [Distant Horizons](https://modrinth.com/mod/distanthorizons)

Showcase videos

Acknowledgments

* Settings menu translations: * [NakiriRuri](https://github.com/NakiriRuri) and [OrzMiku](https://github.com/Orzmiku) (Chinese) * [Jmayk](https://github.com/Jmayk-dev) (Italian) * [Timtaran](https://github.com/Timtaran) (Russian) * [Emin](https://github.com/EminGT) - Shadow bias method from [Complementary Reimagined](https://www.complementary.dev/shaders/) (fully fixes peter panning and light leaking underground!) * [DrDesten](https://github.com/DrDesten) - Depth tolerance calculation for SSR (helps to prevent false reflections) * [Jessie](https://github.com/Jessie-LC) - f0 and f82 values for labPBR hardcoded metals * [Sledgehammer Games](https://www.sledgehammergames.com/) - Bloom downsampling method used in Call of Duty Advanced Warfare (described [here](http://www.iryoku.com/next-generation-post-processing-in-call-of-duty-advanced-warfare)) * http://momentsingraphics.de/ - Blue noise texture * [NASA Scientific Visualization Studio](https://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/4851) - Galaxy image

Compatibility & requirements

Environment: Client only — Runs on the player's Minecraft client. Does not need to be installed on the server.

Loaders / platforms: Iris Shaders, OptiFine

Supported Minecraft versions (33): 26.1.2, 26.1.1, 26.1, 1.21.9, 1.21.8, 1.21.7, 1.21.6, 1.21.5, 1.21.4, 1.21.3, 1.21.2, 1.21.11, 1.21.10, 1.21.1, 1.21, 1.20.6, 1.20.5, 1.20.4, 1.20.3, 1.20.2, 1.20.1, 1.20, 1.19.4, 1.19.3, 1.19.2, 1.19.1, 1.19, 1.18.2, 1.18.1, 1.18, 1.17.1, 1.17, 1.16.5

Categories: Atmosphere, Colored Lighting, Semi Realistic

How to install Photon Shaders

Match your Minecraft version. Confirm the file you download from Modrinth is tagged for Minecraft 26.1.2.
Install Iris or OptiFine first. Then place the shader .zip into .minecraft/shaderpacks.
Launch and verify. Start Minecraft (or your server) and check Photon Shaders appears in the mods / plugins / resource packs list.

Frequently asked questions about Photon Shaders

Which Minecraft versions does Photon Shaders support?

Photon Shaders lists support for 33 Minecraft versions. The most recent supported release is Minecraft 26.1.2, with older support running back to Minecraft 1.16.5. Always match the version of the file you download to the Minecraft version your world or server is running.

What mod loader or server platform do I need to run Photon Shaders?

Photon Shaders publishes files for Iris Shaders, OptiFine. Install the matching loader (for example, Fabric Loader for Fabric builds or PaperMC for Paper plugins) before dropping Photon Shaders into your mods, plugins, or resource-pack folder.

Does Photon Shaders need to be installed on my Minecraft server?

Photon Shaders is a client-side shader pack. Only the player installs it — you can join vanilla or modded servers without needing them to add Photon Shaders.

Who created Photon Shaders?

Photon Shaders is published on Modrinth by sixthsurge. The project was first published 847 days ago. All files are hosted and moderated by the Modrinth team, and sixthsurge's Modrinth profile links to every other project they maintain.

Is Photon Shaders still being updated?

Yes — Photon Shaders was updated 4 months ago on Modrinth. Regular updates from sixthsurge generally indicate active maintenance and quicker patches for Minecraft version bumps.

Is Photon Shaders safe to download from Modrinth?

Yes. Modrinth moderates every file that sixthsurge uploads for Photon Shaders. Files are virus-scanned and reviewed against Modrinth's content policy before publication. Downloading Photon Shaders directly from its Modrinth page is the recommended way to avoid malware-laced mirrors. Never install shader pack files from unknown third-party sites.

How popular is Photon Shaders?

Photon Shaders has been downloaded 22,890,620 times (22.9M) on Modrinth and has 3,880 followers tracking new releases. High download counts and active follower bases are strong signals of a trustworthy, well-maintained Minecraft shader pack.

What license does Photon Shaders use?

Photon Shaders is distributed under the LICENSEREF-. Read the license on the Modrinth project page before redistributing, forking, or bundling Photon Shaders into a modpack.

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Official links

Source, safety, and licensing

Photon Shaders is indexed by MinecraftBible directly from the official Modrinth REST API. All files are hosted on Modrinth, which virus-scans and moderates every upload from sixthsurge before publication. Downloading through Modrinth is the recommended safe path — never install shader pack files from unknown mirrors.

License: LICENSEREF- (LicenseRef-).

Freshness signal: Photon Shaders was updated 4 months ago, which is a positive sign of active maintenance.

Author profile: Visit sixthsurge's Modrinth profile to see every other project they maintain.

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