Screenshot 1 of 5. Daytime forest scene with bright green leaves and a reddish dirt cliff under a pale sky, shown with Lantern Shader.
What Lantern Shader works with.
| Platform | Java Edition |
|---|---|
| Loaders | Iris |
| Minecraft versions | 1.18, 1.18.2, 1.19.4, 1.20.6, 1.21.11 |
Lantern Shader is a lightweight shader pack for Java that mixes fantasy and semi-realistic lighting with a vanilla-like base. It runs on Iris and features beautiful color palettes and pixelated shadows. Shaders run on the player's own machine only, so a hosting machine gains nothing from it.
Shader loaders and versions
- Iris: Minecraft 1.18 to 1.21.11. Some builds for 1.18 to 1.21.8 require Iris Shaders.
What it changes
The pack centres on lighting, with beautiful color palettes and pixelated shadows as its two defining features.
- Color palettes tuned for a fantasy, semi-realistic mood.
- Pixelated shadows as a defining part of the look.
- Bloom and shadow effects listed among its tags.
- Tagged potato and low for performance cost.
Performance
The creator describes the pack as light enough to have minimal performance impact, and says it can run smoothly on some integrated graphics cards. That is a modest claim, not a promise for every machine, so test it on your own hardware. The trade-off is stylistic: shadows stay pixelated by design rather than smooth.
Installation
- 1.Install Iris Shaders for your Java setup. Some builds of the pack require it, and Iris is the loader you will use to select it anyway.
- 2.Place the shader pack's .zip file in your shaderpacks folder.
- 3.Open Video Settings, then Shader Packs, and select Lantern Shader.
Questions about Lantern Shader.
3 questions
How do I install Lantern Shader?
Install Iris, put the pack's .zip file in the shaderpacks folder, then pick Lantern Shader under Video Settings and Shader Packs. The [general steps](/guides/install-minecraft-shaders-java-bedrock) apply here without changes. Newer builds list no required dependencies, while some older ones need Iris.
Does Lantern Shader work on Bedrock?
No. The pack is for Java and loads through Iris, which Bedrock cannot run. Bedrock uses a different shader format, so a Java shader pack cannot be copied across.
Is Lantern Shader good for low-end PCs?
It is tagged potato and low for performance, and the creator says it has minimal impact and can run smoothly on some integrated graphics cards. Results depend on your hardware and other mods, so treat it as a lightweight option rather than a guarantee.
