Pastel Shaders 1.21, 1.21.3, 1.21.1 → 1.20

The Pastel shaders are your ticket to the Minecraft paradise! But, hold up! Don’t get tripped up by the name. Even though the name sounds like we’re about to start coloring with a set of soft-hued pencils, this isn’t about painting at all. Nope, we’re writing about a new shader pack.

Unlike the big names you might know, like BSL or Chocapic, the Pastel shader pack is the new kid on the block. But don’t let its newbie status fool you. This pack has already snagged a hefty crowd of players. One reason? It works nicely with modern low-end GPUs and integrated graphics. So, you don’t need a NASA PC to get those realistic graphics.

And here’s a cool tidbit before we tell you the best features in the next section: the same genius behind this, ElocinDev, also developed the Insanity pack. He calls it the sibling of Pastel shaders. But think of it like the goth sibling who loves Halloween more than Christmas. Insanity is all about that horror-themed, dark vibe. It’s the opposite of our chill, pastel MC dreamland. By the way, the creator is the lead developer of Luna Pixel Studios and is also the creator of Prominence and Eldritch End.

Best Features in Pastel Shaders

While the following list showcases our personal picks, don’t be surprised if you stumble upon even more goodies as you explore. Here’s what really stood out during our in-game testing with the Pastel shaders.

One of the first things that’ll catch your eye with Pastel shaders is the frozen ocean. Compared to the vanilla Minecraft, these areas are on a whole new level of cool. The packed ice not only reflects the Minecraft sky above, making it look stunningly realistic, but it also brings back that feeling of gliding on ice in real life. This feature alone could make you fall in love with snowy biomes all over again. And when it snows? Your visibility gets better—thanks to the paler, more transparent snowflakes.

If you’ve ever marveled at the gentle sway of tall seagrass in a river that’s not frozen over, then watch out now. It’s not just the seagrass; the entire flora, including tree leaves and flowers, dances to the rhythm of simulated wind currents. And don’t worry, the effect is subtle, keeping Mojang’s game smooth and enjoyable without going overboard.

Looking up at the night sky in Minecraft has rarely been so much fun. The Pastel shader pack adds an Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) simulation that’ll have you staring in awe. Sure, other shaders like Complementary and Solas have their takes on the Northern Lights, but Pastel offers a unique version. It’s definitely worth testing all three to find your favorite rendition of this spectacular natural phenomenon.

Pastel Shaders brings in a new lighting system that’s more realistic than what you get in vanilla Minecraft. It might not blow you away if you’ve installed SEUS, but keep in mind that Pastel is still a work in progress. Most of its releases have been beta versions, so there’s potential for even more impressive updates to the way light from torches, glowstone, and other blocks illuminates.

Last but certainly not least, Pastel shaders nails something many packs struggle with: keeping caves, the Nether, and nighttime scenes from being pitch black. It’s rare for a shader to get this just right, often forcing players to deactivate the shader or switch to a FullBright texture pack in these situations. However, Pastel not only maintains visibility in typically dark areas but sometimes makes them even brighter than usual. Plus, the lava seas have this lifelike water-like movement and appear retextured, almost as if they were part of the default resource packs.

High Performance with Pastel Shaders

The Pastel shaders were created to run smoothly on most modern PCs. To give you an idea, here’s how it performs on a variety of graphics cards:

• Intel HD 630: Manages a respectable 30-45 FPS.
• Ryzen 3 22009: Steps things up with 50-70 FPS.
• GTX 1050: Keeps the game running smoothly at 60-80 FPS.
• GTX 1650 Super: Blazes ahead with 100-130 FPS.

Remember, the higher the settings you choose, the more impact it’ll have on your FPS. It’s all about finding that sweet spot where beauty meets performance. Learn everything about the best settings further below under the how-to install instructions.

Video & Screenshots

Comparison

How To Install Pastel Shaders

Pastel Shaders Settings:

Reading the Pastel shader settings is like opening a box of endless possibilities for Minecraft. These settings are intricate, allowing you to tweak nearly every aspect of the gameplay. From fog options to animations, if there’s a detail you want to change, chances are, you can. It’s a playground for the nerds.

However, if you’re not into messing with a million sliders and toggles, no worries! Pastel comes with user-friendly basic settings and a selection of quick settings presets to get you started:

• Low: For those who need to keep things running smoothly without much strain on their system, this preset keeps shadows and effects to a minimum and skips reflections altogether.
• Balanced: A middle ground with medium shadows, a sprinkle of effects, and a touch of reflections for a bit more visual flair.
• Quality: Cranks up the shadows, piles on the effects, and adds full reflections.
• Ultra: The cream of the crop for visuals, offering higher quality and sharper shadows for the ultimate features.

And if you’re someone who loves to personalize games even further, you’ll be excited about the multiple Pastel color options. Choose from shades like Rose-Quartz (Pink-ish), Periwinkle (Blue-ish), and Lemon (Yellow-ish). And if none of those tickle your fancy, sticking with the default settings is always an option.

Pastel Shaders Download

Animated RGB GUINEW

Invisible Armor

No Fog

Iteration Shaders