Screenshot 1 of 5. Grayscale in-game view of birch trees and leaves under a bright light source with a stone block, using the NOIR shader.
What NOIR works with.
| Platform | Java Edition |
|---|---|
| Loaders | Iris, OptiFine |
| Minecraft versions | 1.12, 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 |
NOIR is a cinematic black and white shader pack for Minecraft Java by xsoras. It runs on Iris and OptiFine, and it only needs installing on the player's own machine. The aim is style over realism: a darker, moodier world that still reads as vanilla.
Shader loaders and versions
- Iris and OptiFine: Minecraft 1.12 to 26.3.
Look and effects
NOIR leans on contrast, mood and restrained lighting instead of heavy post-processing. Deep godrays, controlled highlights and muted tones make the world more atmospheric and immersive without sacrificing the vanilla aesthetic.
- High-contrast cinematic lighting
- Darker nights and a stronger atmosphere
- Subtle water shading
- Clean color grading
- Lightweight rendering aimed at balanced performance
How to install NOIR with Iris or OptiFine
- 1.Set up Iris on Fabric or NeoForge, or install OptiFine, following the shader install guide.
- 2.Place the NOIR .zip from Modrinth in your shaderpacks folder.
- 3.Open Video Settings > Shader Packs in Iris, or the shader menu in OptiFine, and select NOIR.
Performance and trade-offs
NOIR is described as relatively lightweight next to large cinematic shader packs, since it skips heavy effects and focuses on efficient lighting and shading. Frame rates still vary with hardware and render settings.
Questions about NOIR.
3 questions
How do I install NOIR?
Install Iris on Fabric or NeoForge, or OptiFine. Put the NOIR .zip in the shaderpacks folder, then open Video Settings > Shader Packs in Iris, or the shader menu in OptiFine, and select it. It is needed only on your own machine.
Does NOIR work with Iris and OptiFine?
Yes. Both loaders have builds that cover Minecraft 1.12 to 26.3, and neither needs an extra dependency. Pick whichever loader suits the mods you already run.
Is NOIR good for low-end PCs?
NOIR is described as lightweight compared with large cinematic shader packs, avoiding heavy effects. No performance tier is promised, and results depend on hardware and render settings, so test it on your own system.
