Better Old Netherrack recolors Minecraft's netherrack back toward the darker red it had before the Nether Update, for players who never warmed to the lighter, more saturated texture that update brought in. It is a 16x Java Edition resource pack by AT-3109, distributed on Modrinth, and its current release is confirmed through Minecraft 26.2.
Why players still want the old netherrack look
The Nether Update, Java Edition 1.16, reworked the Nether's biomes and gave netherrack a brighter, more saturated texture alongside new additions like nylium and basalt. Not everyone liked the swap, and threads on Reddit's older-Minecraft nostalgia communities still compare the two textures years later. Better Old Netherrack targets that specific complaint. It tints netherrack, and as of its most recent update, nylium, back toward the darker, muddier red of the pre-2020 block, without touching anything else in the Nether.
Two files for two different setups
The pack ships as two separate downloads, and picking the right one matters. The Vanilla file only retints netherrack and nylium and needs nothing else installed. The Golden Days file is built to sit on top of Golden Days Base, a separate resource pack that restores textures, sounds, and names from Minecraft's Beta era, and it depends on that base pack being installed and enabled to display correctly.
Installation
The steps are the same as any Java resource pack. For the general Options menu walkthrough, see our guide on installing Minecraft resource packs on Java and Bedrock.
- 1.Download the Modrinth zip for the file that matches your setup, Vanilla or Golden Days.
- 2.Drop the zip, unextracted, into the resourcepacks folder for your Java Edition install.
- 3.Open Options, then Resource Packs, and move it into the active list.
- 4.If using the Golden Days file, keep Golden Days Base enabled in the same list so the two apply together.
Supported Minecraft versions
Better Old Netherrack is a plain resource pack with no loader or mod dependency, so it follows Minecraft's own version support rather than a mod loader's. Its current release, v1.2, is confirmed through Minecraft 26.2, and its version history covers releases back to 1.16.2, the first version with the modern netherrack texture this pack reacts against.
- 1.16.5
- 1.18.2
- 1.19.4
- 1.20.1
- 1.20.6
- 1.21.1
- 1.21.8
- 1.21.11
- 26.1
- 26.2
What it doesn't change
The pack only recolors netherrack and nylium. It leaves Nether biome generation, mob behavior, and every other Nether Update addition, such as soul soil, basalt, and the crimson and warped forests, untouched, so it reads as a small nostalgia fix rather than a full Nether overhaul. Players who want a broader pre-Nether-Update look are the intended audience for the Golden Days file, which pairs it with Golden Days Base's wider Beta-era retexture.
Questions about Better Old Netherrack.
5 questions
How do I install Better Old Netherrack?
Download the Vanilla or Golden Days zip from its Modrinth page, then drop the file, unextracted, into the resourcepacks folder for your Java Edition install. Open Options, then Resource Packs, and move it into the active column. It needs no mod loader, since it only replaces texture files.
What's the difference between the Vanilla and Golden Days downloads?
The Vanilla file only recolors netherrack and nylium for a normal, unmodified game. The Golden Days file is built to match Golden Days Base, a separate Beta-era retexture pack, and depends on that pack being installed and enabled to display correctly. Using the wrong file leaves the colors mismatched.
Does Better Old Netherrack work on Bedrock Edition?
No. It is published only as a Java Edition resource pack on Modrinth. Bedrock Edition uses a different resource pack format, and this project has no Bedrock release.
Which Minecraft version does Better Old Netherrack support?
Its current build, v1.2, is confirmed through Minecraft 26.2, and the project's version history reaches back to 1.16.2, the version where netherrack first got the lighter texture this pack tints back down.
Is Better Old Netherrack safe to use?
It is distributed through Modrinth under the MIT license and only edits texture files, so it carries no mod code or loader risk. Download it from the official Modrinth project page rather than a third-party mirror.
