Screenshot 1 of 4. Grand Teton mountain landscape rendered with Continuum 2.0 Redux shader pack running on Iris Shaders
What Iris Shaders works with.
| Platform | Java Edition |
|---|---|
| Loaders | Fabric, NeoForge, Quilt |
| Minecraft versions | 1.16.5, 1.17.1, 1.18.2, 1.19.4, 1.20.6, 1.21.11, 26.1.2, 26.2, 26.3 |
| Environment | Client |
Iris Shaders is a shader loader mod for Minecraft Java Edition on Fabric, NeoForge and Quilt. It runs OptiFine-compatible shader packs and sits on top of Sodium for rendering. It is a player-side mod: you add it to your own game, and a dedicated host is unsupported.
- Fabric: Minecraft 1.16.5 to 26.3. The newest file is 1.11.7 for 26.3, published 2026-09-30.
- NeoForge: Minecraft 1.21 to 26.3, with the same 1.11.7 file at the top.
- Quilt: Minecraft 1.16.5 to 1.21.11. The newest file is 1.10.6 for 1.21.11, published 2026-02-23.
- Required dependency: Sodium in the newest files on all three loaders. Some older files, up to 1.21.1 on Fabric and Quilt and up to 26.1.2 on NeoForge, list no required dependency.
- Side: needed on the player's machine, unsupported on a dedicated host.
Installing Iris
- 1.Set up Fabric, NeoForge or Quilt for the Minecraft release you play. The Fabric guide and the Forge and NeoForge guide cover the loader.
- 2.Download the Iris .jar made for that loader and release, plus the matching Sodium .jar.
- 3.Put both .jar files in the mods folder inside the Minecraft game directory (.minecraft/mods by default).
- 4.Launch with the loader's profile. The general steps are in how to install mods on Java Edition.
Why Iris exists
Coderbot built Iris as an open-source way to load shader packs on modern releases while keeping performance and modpack compatibility. OptiFine, the usual shader loader, has restrictive licensing and is mutually incompatible with Sodium. Iris was made to remove that conflict.
Limits to know
Iris supports almost all shader packs, but not all. Its maintainers publish a list of unsupported packs and a list of limitations they consider unfixable, so check both before blaming your setup. Quilt files stop at 1.21.11 while Fabric and NeoForge continue to 26.3. Forge is not a supported loader.
Questions about Iris Shaders.
4 questions
Do I need to install Sodium for Iris?
Yes for current releases. The newest Iris files on Fabric, NeoForge and Quilt list Sodium as a required dependency, so place a matching Sodium jar in the mods folder next to Iris. Some older files list no required dependency, so check the file for the Minecraft release you play.
Does Iris work with Forge?
No. Iris releases cover Fabric, NeoForge and Quilt only, so it will not load on Forge. NeoForge files start at Minecraft 1.21, and older worlds that need Iris should run on a Fabric or Quilt setup instead.
Can I use Iris on a multiplayer host?
Iris is a player-side mod. It must be installed on your own machine to render shaders, and installing it on a dedicated host is unsupported. Joining a multiplayer world with Iris therefore means adding it only to your own mods folder.
Which Minecraft releases does Iris support?
Fabric files run from 1.16.5 to 26.3 and NeoForge files from 1.21 to 26.3. Quilt files stop at 1.21.11, last updated in February 2026. Choose the file matching your exact Minecraft release and loader, because a mod loads only on the release it was made for.
