Screenshot 1 of 5. A cave with pointed dripstone, a blue water column and a small orange light far ahead, shown with Night Vision Shaders.
What Night Vision Shaders works with.
| Platform | Java Edition |
|---|---|
| Minecraft versions | 1.20.4, 1.20.6, 1.21.11, 26.1.1, 26.2, 26.3 |
Night Vision Shaders, listed on CurseForge as Night Visions Shaders [Java], is a vanilla-like shader pack for Java that makes caves, the Nether and underwater readable without flattening the world. LinusDev built it around one idea, brightness everywhere with the original look intact. It loads as a plain resource pack, it does not work with OptiFine, and Sodium or Iris users need one extra mod.
Shader loaders and versions
- Minecraft 1.20.4 to 26.3.
What it changes
The pack raises light levels across the board, so dark spaces stay legible. It stops short of a full-bright effect. Slight light differences remain, which keeps the contrast that gives vanilla its mood.
- Fog is not removed, it starts further away.
- Light sources such as torches still emit light.
- Blocks still cast shadow, only less dark.
- Sodium is supported once the Sodium Core Shader Support mod is installed.
How to install it
- 1.Copy the pack's .zip into the resourcepack directory.
- 2.Enable it as a resource pack.
- 3.If you run Sodium or Iris, add the Sodium Core Shader Support mod first, because the pack requires it there.
Players on Sodium need that support mod. If the pack refuses to show up, the shader troubleshooting guide covers the usual causes. It is Java only, since Bedrock cannot run it.
The trade-off
Brightness is the whole pitch. Darkness is weaker and shadows are softer by design, so players who want dread in a cave will find it gentler than vanilla. In return, nothing is hidden in the dark and the familiar look survives.
Questions about Night Vision Shaders.
3 questions
How do I install Night Vision Shaders?
Copy the pack's .zip into the resourcepack directory and enable it as a resource pack. If you use Sodium or Iris, also install the Sodium Core Shader Support mod, which the pack requires in that setup. It is a Java pack, and Bedrock cannot use it.
Does Night Vision Shaders work with OptiFine?
No. The pack does not work with OptiFine. It is meant to load as a resource pack, or alongside Sodium or Iris with the Sodium Core Shader Support mod added. Players who rely on OptiFine should pick a different shader pack, because this one will not function there.
Does Night Vision Shaders remove darkness and fog completely?
No. It makes everything brighter but keeps the aesthetic. Fog starts further away instead of disappearing, light sources still emit light, and blocks still cast shadow, only less dark. The result is a clearer view in caves, the Nether and underwater without a flat full-bright look.
