Screenshot 1 of 1. MinecraftHub-generated cover art for Better Block Entities: a floating wooded block island with a workshop of crafting tables and furnaces, under a day sky
What Better Block Entities works with.
| Platform | Java Edition |
|---|---|
| Loaders | Fabric, NeoForge |
| Minecraft versions | 1.21, 1.21.11, 26.1.2, 26.2, 26.3 |
| Environment | Client |
Better Block Entities (BBE) is a Fabric and NeoForge mod that raises frame rates by changing how block entities are drawn.
Loaders and versions
- Fabric: Minecraft 1.21 to 26.3. The newest build requires Sodium; some builds for 1.21.6 to 1.21.10 require Sodium and Fabric API.
- NeoForge: Minecraft 1.21 to 26.3. The newest build requires Sodium.
How the hybrid renderer works
BBE renders supported block entities in one of two ways. While a block entity animates, it uses the vanilla rendering path. When it sits still, the mod bakes it into the terrain as a static mesh. The gain scales with how many block entities are loaded, and the creator expects at least a 3x increase.
Animations stay, unlike FastChest style mods, and you can switch them off if you prefer. Meshed block entities also stay visible from much farther away, like regular blocks, and pick up smooth lighting and ambient occlusion.
- Shulker boxes, signs, decorated pots, beds, bells and banners
- Chests, including ender, trapped and the copper variants
- Copper golem statues
- A config screen with a toggle for each supported block
Compatibility with other mods
Sodium is a hard dependency today, and the creator plans to make it optional later. BBE works out of the box with Lithium, Nvidium, ImmediatelyFast and C2ME. Resource packs and shaders work too.
Resource packs that change block entity models through block model files load alongside the FPS boost. Examples are Redstone Tweaks and (Bee's) Cozier Beds.
Installing Better Block Entities
Install Fabric or NeoForge for your Minecraft release, then place the BBE file and its required dependencies in the mods folder. Launch with the loader's profile. The mod is Java Edition only and cannot load on Bedrock. The trade-off is the dependency on Sodium, plus the fact that it only helps on the player's own install.
Questions about Better Block Entities.
4 questions
Does Better Block Entities remove chest animations?
No. The mod swaps a block entity to the regular animated rendering path while it moves, and meshes it into the terrain only when it is still. You keep the animations and gain the frame rate. An option lets you turn this behaviour off if you prefer.
Do I need Better Block Entities on a multiplayer host?
No. Install it only on the machine you play on, and you can still join multiplayer worlds.
Does Better Block Entities work with shaders and resource packs?
Yes. Shaders and resource packs work with it. Packs that change block entity models through block model files also load. EMF support is limited to 1.21.11 and above, and some packs may render models slightly misplaced.
Is Better Block Entities compatible with Sodium?
It requires Sodium. The creator plans to make Sodium optional later, but for now you install both. It also works out of the box with Lithium, Nvidium, ImmediatelyFast and C2ME.
