Aurora’s Shaders 1.21, 1.21.5 → 1.20

Aurora’s shaders make your Minecraft world more vibrant while still running smoothly. Like many other packs, it’s built on the code from Complementary Unbound, which means it’s a reworked version of the popular shader. Compared to the original Complementary, the Aurora edit looks a lot more like classic Minecraft. You can really see that in the water. There are some subtle effects like gentle waves, but the surface still feels a lot like vanilla Minecraft without any mods.

When you look into the distance, you’ll notice rich, bold colors. Animals look friendlier in this lighting, and even hostile mobs like Creepers and Zombies stand out thanks to the new visual effects. In direct comparison, Complementary Unbound almost feels washed out. On the flip side, Complementary does have better-looking clouds. The sky in Aurora’s shaders is a bit plain. A stunning sky is usually one of the highlights in many shader projects. Just look at Photon or SEUS PTGI, where the sky really takes center stage. However, those packs are ultra-realistic and only run well on high-end graphics cards.

One really cool thing is that Aurora works with the Distant Horizons mod. This mod massively increases your render distance, letting you see way more mountains and biomes all at once. Without shaders, it doesn’t look nearly as impressive. If you’re playing Minecraft Java Edition and love using mods, you should definitely give it a try. Just keep in mind that you’ll need a powerful PC, because this combo really pushes Minecraft to its limits.

Even though the effects are more advanced, the game doesn’t end up looking like a realistic video game like GTA 6. It still clearly looks like Mojang’s blocky world. The developer herself describes it on Modrinth as a better version of Minecraft. It’s not trying to look hyper-realistic or fantasy-like. It’s just supposed to look nicer overall. Whether you’re exploring the Overworld, the Nether, or the End, this shader brings visual improvements everywhere.

That said, there are a few minor drawbacks. Some parts of the shader could’ve used a bit more creativity. Other graphic mods like BSL or Sildur’s Vibrant sometimes surprise you with small details. Aurora’s shaders don’t always have that. The sky in the End, for example, feels pretty basic. A cool feature like a black hole, like the one you’ll find in IterationT or Super Duper Vanilla, would’ve made a big difference. Aside from that, there’s not much to complain about. It’s still a pretty new shader pack, so if you run into a bug, try to help the developer with a comment.

If you mess around with Aurora’s shader settings, you can pick from different profiles. For dramatic effects, check out the “Cinematic” profile. It delivers movie-quality visuals but can really tank your FPS, so it’s best for taking screenshots unless you’ve got a strong PC. Most players should stick with the “Vanilla Plus” profile. It strikes a great balance between visual quality and performance. Some features are turned off in this mode, but it’s barely noticeable. The water, for example, looks great at first glance, though it can feel a bit dark underwater. By the way, there’s another shader pack with the same name. If you’re curious, look up the Vanilla Plus shaders made by another developer.

XRay

Faithful 32x

FullBright

Jenny Mod

Video & Screenshots

Comparison

How To Install Aurora’s Shaders

Aurora’s Shaders Download

Mellow Shaders

Bloop Shaders

Soft Voxels Shaders

MollyVX Shaders