Does Sodium Allow Shaders? How Sodium and Iris Work Together (2026)

Sodium alone does not support shaders. You need Iris alongside Sodium to use shader packs.

Quick Answer

• Sodium: Rendering optimization mod. Improves FPS. Does not load shaders.
• Iris: Shader loader for Fabric. Requires Sodium. Loads shader packs.
• Together: Sodium handles rendering performance. Iris handles shader loading. Best of both.

How to Set Up Sodium + Iris

1. Install Fabric mod loader for your Minecraft version
2. Download Sodium from Modrinth
3. Download Iris from Modrinth
4. Place both .jar files in your mods folder
5. Download a shader pack (.zip file)
6. Place the shader .zip in .minecraft/shaderpacks/
7. Launch Minecraft
8. Go to Video Settings > Shader Packs
9. Select your shader pack

Does Sodium Replace OptiFine?

For modern Minecraft versions, yes. Sodium + Iris replaces OptiFine for both performance and shader support. The combo usually gives better FPS than OptiFine.

What About Forge and NeoForge?

For Forge and NeoForge, use Embeddium (Sodium port) + Oculus (Iris port). Same concept, different mod names for the Forge ecosystem.

FAQ

Can Sodium run shaders without Iris? No. Sodium is a performance mod only. Add Iris for shader support.

Does Iris need Sodium? Yes. Iris is designed to work with Sodium.

Is Sodium + Iris better than OptiFine? For most modern versions, yes. Higher FPS and better mod compatibility.

Do shaders affect server performance? No. Shaders are client-side only. They do not affect server TPS or RAM.

Related: Best shader packs for Sodium and Iris, Best Minecraft shaders 2026, Iris vs OptiFine