How to get and use Minecraft 1.20.6 Sodium mod

After releasing the long-awaited Minecraft 1.20.5 Armored Paws update, Mojang Studios quickly released the 1.20.6 update to fix a minor bug. With every update, the modding community starts updating their mods to work with the newest game version. While other famous performance mods like OptiFine are still working with 1.20.5 and 1.20.6 updates, the team at Sodium was quick enough to release their updated mod.

Here is a short guide for downloading and installing the Sodium mod for Minecraft 1.20.6 update.

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Steps to download and install Sodium mod for Minecraft 1.20.6

How to install Sodium mod for Minecraft 1.20.6?

Iris Shader installer can be downloaded from their official website (Image via Iris Shader)

Using the Iris Shaders installer is the recommended method for installing the Sodium, particularly because the performance mod does not directly support shaders. Hence, the Iris Shaders installer automatically installs both Sodium and shader support.

You can obtain the latest jar file from their official website by searching for "Iris Shaders". After that, you can launch the jar file, choose version 1.20.6, and click "Install." The installer will download the Iris shaders and Sodium mod simultaneously in a matter of seconds. Since a mod is getting installed, it will essentially make the game version 1.20.6 modded.

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How to run and use Sodium mod?

Run the modded game version after installation. (Image via Minecraft)

Once the Sodium mod and Iris shaders for the 1.20.6 game version get installed, the modded game version, which will have a different logo in the official Minecraft launcher can be opened.

The game will launch normally with the regular main menu. However, you can go to the settings to see a totally redesigned user interface (UI) with a ton of new settings to play around with. The primary goal of the Sodium mod is to enhance the game's graphical quality and smoothness.

There will be multiple new settings in the video section. You can install and run any shader pack courtesy of Iris Shaders, which will enhance the game's visual appeal with precise lighting and shadows.

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What was added and changed with Minecraft 1.20.6?

Soon after Mojang Studios released the highly anticipated Minecraft 1.20.5 Armored Paws update, they announced that they would be releasing the 1.20.6 version. This was mainly because of a minor bug that surfaced after the Armored Paws update was released.

Many players reported on the game's bug tracker that when they switched from 1.20.4 to the 1.20.5 version, the trader llama's inventory was getting corrupted. The items in the inventory were either missing or invalid. As soon as the report reached Mojang Studios, they planned to fix it with a 1.20.6 update.

They directly pushed a release candidate for the latest version and released the official update within a week.