Iris Shaders on Modrinth: Download for 26.3 and 1.21.x

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Iris shaders on Modrinth: the exact page, which Iris and Sodium files fit 26.3 and 1.21.x, the NeoForge 26.3 Sodium fix, and where your shader packs go.

First-person view of a Minecraft jungle with tall jungle trees, hanging vines and grass

Iris shaders on Modrinth all sit on one project page, but that page holds more than 240 versions, and the file you need depends on your Minecraft version and your loader. Take the wrong one and the Shader Packs button never appears, or the game stops at startup. Here is the exact Modrinth path, the Iris and Sodium pairs for 26.3 and every 1.21.x release, and the steps from download to a shader running in game.

Quick answer: Iris shaders on Modrinth are at modrinth.com/mod/iris, where the project is called Iris Shaders. Open Versions and filter on your game version and platform, or go straight to modrinth.com/mod/iris/versions?g=26.3&l=fabric. For Minecraft 26.3, use Iris 1.11.7 with Sodium 0.9.2 on Fabric, or Iris 1.11.7 with Sodium 0.9.3-beta.1 on NeoForge. Put both jars in mods, drop the shader pack .zip unopened into shaderpacks, and pick it under Options > Video Settings > Shader Packs.

Where Iris Shaders Are on Modrinth

What you needModrinth page
Iris project pagemodrinth.com/mod/iris
Iris for 26.3 on Fabricmodrinth.com/mod/iris/versions?g=26.3&l=fabric
Iris for 26.3 on NeoForgemodrinth.com/mod/iris/versions?g=26.3&l=neoforge
Sodium project pagemodrinth.com/mod/sodium
Sodium for 26.3modrinth.com/mod/sodium/versions?g=26.3
Shader packsmodrinth.com/discover/shaders

In those links, g is the game version and l the loader, so ?g=1.21.1&l=neoforge shows the 1.21.1 NeoForge files. The Iris page lists support for 26.3, 26.2, 26.1.x, 1.21.x and older versions, on Fabric, NeoForge and Quilt, and marks Iris as client-side.

Iris loads shader packs, but it runs on top of Sodium, the rendering mod. The newest Iris files list Sodium as required, and Iris does not load without it, so you always download two mods for the same Minecraft version and the same loader.

Iris and Sodium Versions for 26.3 and 1.21.x

Modrinth's API records which Sodium build an Iris file points to. This is the newest Iris file per Minecraft version on 3 November 2026, with the Sodium build to put next to it: the one Iris links, except on NeoForge 26.3. Fabric and NeoForge use the same version numbers.

MinecraftIrisIris releasedSodium to use
26.31.11.730 Sep 20260.9.2 on Fabric; 0.9.3-beta.1 on NeoForge (Iris links 0.9.2, see below)
26.21.11.413 Sep 20260.9.2
26.1.21.11.413 Sep 20260.9.2
1.21.111.10.829 Sep 20260.8.14
1.21.10 (and 1.21.9 on Fabric)1.9.718 Dec 20250.7.3
1.21.6 to 1.21.81.9.69 Oct 20250.7.2
1.21.51.8.1131 Mar 20250.6.12 (a beta)
1.21.41.8.820 Feb 2025none pinned; newest Sodium for 1.21.4 is 0.6.13
1.21.11.8.14-beta.113 Jun 20260.8.13

What the table does not show:

  • NeoForge 26.3 needs the Sodium beta. Sodium 0.9.2 crashes at startup on NeoForge 26.3.0.65-beta and newer (issue #3949). Sodium 0.9.3-beta.1, out since 15 October 2026, lists "Fix compatibility with Neoforge 26.3.0.65-beta" in its changelog. Every NeoForge 26.3 build without the beta tag, from 26.3.0.76 to 26.3.0.101 (the newest on 3 November), is newer than that, so take the beta from modrinth.com/mod/sodium/version/SS023RVV. Iris 1.11.7 for NeoForge accepts Sodium 0.6 or newer, so it loads with the beta. Modrinth still lists 0.9.2 as the Iris dependency, though, so a dependency download or the Modrinth App can hand you the version that crashes.
  • Fabric 26.3 can use either. Sodium 0.9.2 is the current full release, and Iris 1.11.7 for Fabric accepts any Sodium 0.9.x, the beta included.
  • 1.21.1 has a beta in its name. The newest Iris build for 1.21.1 is called 1.8.14-beta.1, but Modrinth files it as a release. It accepts only Sodium 0.8.x, so the older Sodium 0.6.13 for 1.21.1 does not work with it.
  • 26.1 and 26.1.1: Iris 1.11.4 covers 26.1 to 26.1.2, but Sodium 0.9.2 is built for 26.1.2 only.
  • A newer Sodium is not always better for Iris. When Sodium 0.9.2 for NeoForge 26.3 came out, its changelog said: "Iris is not yet compatible. If you want to use Iris, don't update Sodium until Iris receives an update." Stay on the Sodium build from the table unless you know your Iris file accepts the newer one, as with the 0.9.x builds above.

Download Iris and Sodium From the Website

  1. Open modrinth.com/mod/iris and click Download
  2. Use Select game version and Select platform (Fabric or NeoForge). Modrinth shows the matching Iris file and lists Sodium under Dependencies
  3. Click Download with deps to save Iris and Sodium together, or download Iris alone and get Sodium from its own page. On NeoForge 26.3, take only Iris here and get Sodium 0.9.3-beta.1 from the link above
  4. Put both .jar files in your mods folder (.minecraft/mods for the official launcher) and start the game with your Fabric or NeoForge profile

The file names tell you what you have. For 26.3 they are iris-fabric-1.11.7+mc26.3.jar with sodium-fabric-0.9.2+mc26.3.jar, or iris-neoforge-1.11.7+mc26.3.jar with sodium-neoforge-0.9.3-beta.1+mc26.3.jar. Never mix Fabric and NeoForge jars or two Minecraft versions in one mods folder. Without Sodium, the game does not start and reports that Sodium is missing.

Iris also has its own installer; our full Iris and Sodium guide walks through it. New to Modrinth? Read is Modrinth safe first.

Iris Through the Modrinth App

Modrinth's own launcher does the matching for you. Create an instance with Fabric or NeoForge and your Minecraft version, click Add content, and install Iris. The App takes the game version and loader from the instance, picks the matching file and installs required dependencies, which for Iris means Sodium. Shader packs install the same way, straight into that instance's shaderpacks folder.

Open the instance's Content tab afterwards and check both entries. On a NeoForge 26.3 instance, if Sodium shows 0.9.2, change it to 0.9.3-beta.1.

Every App instance has its own folder, separate from .minecraft, in the profiles folder of the App directory:

  • Windows: %AppData%\ModrinthApp\profiles
  • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/ModrinthApp/profiles
  • Linux: usually ~/.local/share/ModrinthApp/profiles

You can move that directory in the App settings, so the Open folder button on the instance is the safest way in. A pack in .minecraft/shaderpacks does not show up in an App instance.

Find a Shader Pack on Modrinth

  1. Go to modrinth.com/discover/shaders
  2. Set Game version to yours, and under Loader pick Iris so you only see packs that work with Iris
  3. Use Performance impact (Potato, Low, Medium, High, Screenshot) to match your PC
  4. Open a pack, click Download, and choose the version for your game

The download is a .zip file. Do not unzip it.

The shaders page itself notes that "Shader packs for older versions most likely work on newer versions with only minor issues," so a pack that lists 26.2 but not 26.3 is still worth a try.

Put the Pack in the Shaderpacks Folder

  1. Open your game folder (.minecraft for the official launcher, or the instance folder in the Modrinth App)
  2. Open the shaderpacks folder (Iris creates it on first launch)
  3. Drop the downloaded .zip file into it

Two quicker ways:

  • In game: Options > Video Settings > Shader Packs... > Open Shader Pack Folder... opens the exact folder the running game reads
  • Drag the .zip onto the Shader Packs screen. Iris copies it into the right folder, confirms with "Added Shader Pack", and tells you when a file is not a valid shader pack

How to Activate Modrinth Shaders in Game

  1. Launch Minecraft with the Fabric or NeoForge profile (or App instance) that has Iris and Sodium
  2. Go to Options > Video Settings > Shader Packs...
  3. Click your pack in the list. If shaders were off, this also turns them on
  4. Click Apply or Done

The pack loads straight away. Shader Pack Settings... opens the pack's own options. Two default keys save trips through the menu: K toggles shaders on and off, and on 26.3 I opens the Shader Packs screen (on 1.21.x that key is O). You can change both under Controls, in the Iris category. If your frame rate drops too far, pick a lighter pack or lower its settings.

Shader Packs Not Showing Up?

Check these in order:

  1. Wrong folder. The Modrinth App and other launchers with instances give each instance its own shaderpacks folder. Open it with Open Shader Pack Folder... so you know it is the one Iris reads.
  2. No Shader Packs button in Video Settings. Iris is not loaded. Check that Iris and Sodium are both in mods and both match your loader and Minecraft version, using the table above.
  3. You unzipped the pack. Iris reads .zip files directly. An unzipped pack only works if its folder has a shaders folder directly inside it, and extracting often adds an extra folder level. Use the original .zip.
  4. The file is not an Iris pack. Modrinth's shader loaders also include Vanilla, OptiFine and Canvas. Stick to packs tagged Iris.
  5. "Shaders: No Packs Present" or an old list. Close the Shader Packs screen and open it again after adding files.

Crashes and Low FPS

Game crashes at startup:

  • On NeoForge 26.3 with Sodium 0.9.2: replace it with 0.9.3-beta.1
  • A mod Iris refuses: Iris 1.11.7 for Fabric lists Embeddium, Canvas, OptiFabric and Distant Horizons 3.2.0 or older as breaking, and the NeoForge build marks Embeddium as incompatible
  • Iris and Sodium for different Minecraft versions or loaders

Game crashes when you enable a pack:

  • The pack does not support your Minecraft version, or needs a graphics feature your GPU lacks; Iris warns when a pack uses features it cannot run
  • Outdated graphics drivers
  • On macOS, Iris itself warns that macOS "is known to have issues with many shader packs"

Low FPS: use a lighter pack (the Potato and Low filters help), lower render distance, and lower the pack's own quality settings.

Recommended Shader Packs on Modrinth

All five list 26.3 and the Iris loader on Modrinth on 3 November 2026:

More picks, sorted by PC strength, are in best Minecraft shaders and lightweight shaders for low-end PCs.

FAQ

Where are Iris shaders on Modrinth? At modrinth.com/mod/iris, under the name Iris Shaders. The Versions tab lists every file; add ?g=26.3&l=fabric (or your own version and loader) to the versions URL to filter it. Sodium is at modrinth.com/mod/sodium.

Which Iris version do I need for Minecraft 26.3? Iris 1.11.7, released on 30 September 2026 for Fabric and NeoForge. Pair it with Sodium 0.9.2 on Fabric, or Sodium 0.9.3-beta.1 on NeoForge.

Does Iris from Modrinth need Sodium? Yes. The newest Iris files list Sodium as required, and Iris does not load without it. Install both for the same Minecraft version and loader, using the version table above.

How do I activate Modrinth shaders after downloading them? Put the .zip in your shaderpacks folder without unzipping it, start the game with Iris and Sodium, open Options > Video Settings > Shader Packs..., click the pack and press Apply. Press K to toggle shaders later.

Should I unzip the shader file? No. Keep it as a .zip and place it directly in the shaderpacks folder.

Do Iris and shader packs need to be on the server? No. Modrinth lists Iris and Sodium as required on the client and unsupported on the server. Every player picks their own shaders, and players without Iris join the same server as normal. Setting up a server for your group? See our Minecraft hosting plans.

Related: Full Iris and Sodium setup guide, Iris vs OptiFine, Modrinth texture and resource packs

Auf Deutsch: Modrinth Shader aktivieren mit Iris und Sodium

Sources

All opened on 3 November 2026: