Fabric · NeoForge

Iris Shaders

For years, running shaders meant installing OptiFine — and OptiFine meant giving up Sodium's performance. Iris breaks that trade-off. It loads OptiFine shader packs on Fabric and NeoForge, works alongside Sodium instead of competing with it, and is fully open source. Complementary, BSL, Sildur's, Photon — most packs load without modification.

Fabric / NeoForge Minecraft 26.3 Open source (LGPL-3.0) Pairs with Sodium

Quick facts

CategoryShaders / Rendering
LoaderFabric, NeoForge
Minecraft26.3 and older supported versions
AuthorCaffeineMC
SourceCurseForge / Modrinth
Downloads139.4M (CurseForge, Sep 2026)
LicenseOpen source (LGPL-3.0)
SideClient-side

Source status

Verified

The download below is the file listed in our catalogue. Metadata last checked October 2026.

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Minecraft Mod

Shaders without sacrificing Sodium

Free download

Get Iris Shaders

Install alongside Sodium. Shader packs go in .minecraft/shaderpacks — setup steps below.

Download Iris Shaders

File: iris-shaders.zip · Hosted on MinecraftDrop · No redirects, no ads

What Iris Shaders actually does

Iris is a shader loader, not a performance mod. It allows Minecraft to load and apply shader packs in the OptiFine format. If you want to use shaders like Complementary, BSL, or Photon on Fabric, Iris is what makes that possible. Without it, the game has no mechanism for reading shader pack files.

That's the mechanical side. The bigger picture: for years, shaders meant OptiFine, and OptiFine meant giving up Sodium. You had to choose between shaders and performance. Iris breaks that trade-off. It's designed from the ground up to work alongside Sodium — Sodium handles rendering optimization, Iris handles shader loading, and the two share the same rendering pipeline. Together they provide shaders with better frame rates than OptiFine alone.

Iris is open source under LGPL-3.0, maintained by CaffeineMC (the same team behind Sodium). The project has become the de facto shader solution for Fabric and NeoForge, and most major shader packs now ship with Iris-specific builds or at least test against it.

What it supports

1
OptiFine shader packsMost existing packs load without modification — Complementary, BSL, Sildur's, Photon, and others.
2
Iris-exclusive packsSome shaders use features that OptiFine does not support — colored lighting, compute shaders — and only run under Iris.
3
Sodium integrationNo conflict. Install both for shaders with Sodium's performance gains.
4
Open sourceLGPL-3.0 licensed, developed in the open by CaffeineMC.

How to install it

Iris is a client-side mod. The server does not need it, and it won't cause desync or rejection if you join a server. Install it alongside Sodium — they are designed to be used together.

  1. Install Fabric or NeoForge for your Minecraft version.
  2. Download Sodium and Iris from CurseForge or Modrinth. Both are required for the best experience — Iris without Sodium works, but you lose the performance benefit.
  3. Place both JARs in the mods folder. Check that they match the same Minecraft version and loader.
  4. Launch the game. Shader packs go in .minecraft/shaderpacks. Select them from Video Settings → Shader Packs.
Iris vs OptiFine. Iris supports most OptiFine shader packs but does not include OptiFine's other features (zoom, connected textures, custom entity models). Those come from separate mods on Fabric: Zoomify, Continuity, and EMF/ETF. See the full comparison guide.

Compatibility at a glance

Every value below comes from the creator's official source page. Where the creator doesn't state a field, we mark it "Unknown" rather than guess.

FieldValue
CategoryShaders / Rendering
LoadersFabric, NeoForge
Minecraft versions26.3 and older supported versions
LicenseOpen source (LGPL-3.0)
SideClient-side only
SourceCurseForge / Modrinth (CaffeineMC)
Last verifiedOctober 2026

Frequently asked questions

Do I need OptiFine to use Iris?
No. Iris loads OptiFine-format shader packs without OptiFine installed. In fact, you should not install OptiFine alongside Iris — they conflict.
Does Iris work without Sodium?
Iris can run without Sodium, but it is designed to work with Sodium. Without Sodium, you lose the rendering performance benefits and may see lower frame rates with shaders enabled.
Why is my shader pack not showing in Iris?
Check that the shader pack is in the correct folder (.minecraft/shaderpacks) and that it is a supported format. Some packs require Iris-specific features and may not load on older Iris versions.
Does Iris include OptiFine's zoom and connected textures?
No. Iris only loads shader packs. Other OptiFine features come from separate Fabric mods: Zoomify for zoom, Continuity for connected textures, EMF/ETF for custom entity models.
Does Iris work on Bedrock Edition?
No. Iris is a Java Edition mod that requires Fabric or NeoForge. Bedrock Edition does not support Iris or OptiFine shader packs in the same way.

Why this listing exists

Most resource sites either dump hundreds of unverified links with no context, or hide downloads behind fake countdown timers and redirect chains. This page follows a different approach: it shows the resource's real metadata, links to the creator's original page, and states clearly what we have and have not verified.

If you find a broken link, an incorrect version, or a download that goes somewhere unexpected, report it using the contact form. If you are the creator and want this listing removed or changed, see Copyright / DMCA.

Related mods

Performance

Sodium

Rendering performance mod. Install alongside Iris for shaders without the frame rate hit.

 Shaders

Minecraft Shaders

Browse shader packs with GPU requirements — Complementary, BSL, Photon, and more.

 Performance

ImmediatelyFast

Additional rendering optimization for entities, particles, and GUI.

Report a problem with this page: contact form. If you are the creator and want this listing changed, see Copyright / DMCA.