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shader pack

Photon Shaders

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

client onlynewest supported 26.1.2HighMediumReflectionsShadows
Latest version
v1.3b
Minecraft
1.16.5 to 26.1.2
Java
Java 25+
Loaders
OptiFine, Iris
Licence
LicenseRef-
Downloads
22.7M
Updated
3 mo ago
Available on
Modrinth

Screenshots

Click a screenshot to open it. Screenshots are served from the author’s own host and belong to them.

Minecraft versions

Every version Photon Shaders declares support for, newest first, with the Java runtime that version needs.

Other shader packs
MinecraftThroughJavaEvidenceReleased
26.1.2OptiFine, Iris25+declared9 Apr 2026
26.1.1OptiFine, Iris25+declared1 Apr 2026
26.1Iris, OptiFine25+declared24 Mar 2026
1.21.11OptiFine, Iris21+declared9 Dec 2025
1.21.10OptiFine, Iris21+declared7 Oct 2025
1.21.9OptiFine, Iris21+declared30 Sept 2025
1.21.8OptiFine, Iris21+declared17 Jul 2025
1.21.7Iris, OptiFine21+declared30 Jun 2025
1.21.6OptiFine, Iris21+declared17 Jun 2025
1.21.5OptiFine, Iris21+declared25 Mar 2025
1.21.4Iris, OptiFine21+declared3 Dec 2024
1.21.3OptiFine, Iris21+declared23 Oct 2024
1.21.2OptiFine, Iris21+declared22 Oct 2024
1.21.1OptiFine, Iris21+declared8 Aug 2024
1.21OptiFine, Iris21+declared13 Jun 2024
1.20.6OptiFine, Iris21+declared29 Apr 2024
1.20.5OptiFine, Iris21+declared23 Apr 2024
1.20.4OptiFine, Iris17+declared7 Dec 2023
1.20.3OptiFine, Iris17+declared4 Dec 2023
1.20.2Iris, OptiFine17+declared20 Sept 2023
1.20.1OptiFine, Iris17+declared12 Jun 2023
1.20OptiFine, Iris17+declared2 Jun 2023
1.19.4OptiFine, Iris17+declared14 Mar 2023
1.19.3OptiFine, Iris17+declared7 Dec 2022
1.19.2OptiFine, Iris17+declared5 Aug 2022
1.19.1OptiFine, Iris17+declared27 Jul 2022
1.19OptiFine, Iris17+declared7 Jun 2022
1.18.2OptiFine, Iris17+declared28 Feb 2022
1.18.1OptiFine, Iris17+declared10 Dec 2021
1.18OptiFine, Iris17+declared30 Nov 2021
1.17.1OptiFine, Iris16+declared6 Jul 2021
1.17OptiFine, Iris16+declared8 Jun 2021
1.16.5OptiFine, Iris8+declared14 Jan 2021

Releases

Files come from the author's own host. We publish the checksum so you can prove the file you downloaded is the file they published.

  • v1.3brelease14 Apr 20261.16.5, 1.17, 1.17.1, 1.18, 1.18.1, 1.18.2
    photon_v1.3b.zip3.6 MB40bcbac9c656…
  • v1.3arelease13 Apr 20261.16.5, 1.17, 1.17.1, 1.18, 1.18.1, 1.18.2
    photon_v1.3a.zip3.6 MB073638ac7f06…
  • v1.3release11 Apr 20261.16.5, 1.17, 1.17.1, 1.18, 1.18.1, 1.18.2
    photon_v1.3.zip3.6 MBb080876d12ce…
  • v1.2arelease29 Jun 20251.19, 1.19.1, 1.19.2, 1.19.3, 1.19.4, 1.20
    photon_v1.2a.zip3.6 MB6dd3e8078c5a…
  • v1.2release25 Jun 20251.19, 1.19.1, 1.19.3, 1.19.4, 1.20, 1.20.1
    photon_v1.2.zip3.6 MB5790ddee9b7c…
  • v1.1release28 Jan 20251.19, 1.19.1, 1.19.2, 1.19.3, 1.19.4, 1.20
    photon_v1.1.zip3.4 MB728f108bde49…
  • v1.0arelease9 Apr 20241.20.1, 1.20.4, 1.20.5, 1.21, 1.21.1, 1.21.2
    photon_v1.0a.zip1.5 MBf0b259d213dc…
  • v1.0release8 Apr 20241.20.4
    photon_v1.0.zip1.5 MB98fd34cbd5e4…

Frequently asked

Does Photon Shaders work on Minecraft 26.1.2?

Yes. 26.1.2 is the newest Minecraft version Photon Shaders declares support for, and the claim comes from the author's own release metadata rather than from a compatibility list somebody maintains by hand.

Which Minecraft versions does Photon Shaders support?

Everything the author has declared, from 1.16.5 up to 26.1.2. The full list is in the table above, with the Java runtime each version needs next to it.

Do I need to install Photon Shaders on the client or the server?

The client only. There is nothing to install on the server, so it works on any server you can already join.

Which loader does Photon Shaders need?

OptiFine, Iris. A build for one loader will not load on another, so this is the first thing to check before the Minecraft version.

Which Java version do I need for Photon Shaders?

Java 25 or newer, because that is what the newest Minecraft release it supports requires. The requirement comes from the game rather than from the shader pack itself.

What licence is Photon Shaders under?

LicenseRef-, as stated by the author on the platform we synced it from. Check the project's own page before redistributing or bundling it.

How do I install Photon Shaders?

Install the matching loader first, then put the downloaded file in your mods folder and start the game. The loader, the shader pack and Minecraft all have to be on the same version, which is the usual reason a mod does not appear in game.

Where do I download Photon Shaders safely?

From the author's own page on Modrinth, which is where the data here is synced from. MCReference never mirrors, re-hosts or repackages a file: every download button points at the original source, so you get exactly what the author published.

Works on the same versions

Ordered by how much of the Minecraft version coverage overlaps, not by popularity.

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Last checked 1 d ago against Modrinth. We do not host files and we do not republish descriptions; every download link points at the author’s own release.