Best alternative to Minecraft OptiFine 1.20.5

Mojang Studios recently released Minecraft 1.20.5 with several great features. Soon after, many in the community started updating their mods and other third-party features. OptiFine is one of the most famous performance mods that drastically improves how the game experience. However, OptiFine developers have not yet released any mod version for 1.20.5.

Hence, players must look towards other alternatives with a similar set of features and can support shaders. A great alternative to OptiFine is Sodium, which is widely considered one of the best performance mods for Minecraft.

Note: This article is subjective and solely reflects the writer's opinion.

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How to download and use Sodium for Minecraft 1.20.5

How to download Sodium for 1.20.5 update

Sodium mod can be installed with Iris shader installer (Image via Sportskeeda)

The best way to install Sodium mod is through the Iris Shaders installer. Since the performance mod does not directly have shader support, it has to be paired with Iris.

You can search for 'Iris Shaders for Minecraft' and download the latest jar file from their official website. Then, you can run the installer jar file select the 1.20.5 version, and hit install.

Iris Shaders installer that can install Sodium mod (Image via Sportskeeda)

The installer will only take a few seconds to integrate the Sodium mod and Irish shaders at once. It will essentially install a modded game version 1.20.5.

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How to use the Sodium mod for 1.20.5 version

The Sodium mod can bring loads of new video settings and shader support (Image via Mojang Studios)

Once Sodium mod is installed for the 1.20.5 game version. You must open the official Minecraft launcher and run the modded version that will have a different logo.

After the game opens, you can head to the settings to witness a completely overhauled UI, with loads of new settings that you can tinker with. The Sodium mod mainly focuses on improving the graphics quality and smoothness of the game. Hence, the video settings will have several new toggles. Similar to OptiFine, Sodium will also improve the gameplay experience.

The Iris Shaders will allow you to install any shader pack and run it, making the game look gorgeous with accurate lighting and shadows.

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What features does the 1.20.5 update bring

Minecraft 1.20.5 is a great update that brings a new mob armadillo and several features to the beloved wolf.

Armadillo was one of the mob vote candidates that won the competition back in 2023. One of the main reasons why the mob won was because it brought new wolf armor in Minecraft, a feature that many in the community were craving.

If players brush an armadillo that spawns in savanna and badland biomes, they will drop scutes. Six armadillo scutes can be combined to create wolf armor, which you can place on a tamed wolf. It makes the friendly mob stronger against all kinds of attacks.

Apart from that, Mojang Studios also introduced eight new wolf variants in Minecraft 1.20.5. Each of these variants spawned in different biomes across the Overworld. This was also one of the features the player base was delighted to see after it was revealed.