Is Minecraft 1.21 Optifine available?

This year’s installation of major Minecraft updates has just been released, introducing several new features for players to explore. Being one of the most modded titles out there, people are allowed to customize their game to the point where some cannot play without them.

One of the most used mods is Optifine, which enhances visuals and enables shaders. With the new update, players are curious whether they can enjoy the new features firsthand with the enhanced and optimized visuals. After more than two months of waiting, the Optifine mod is finally available for Minecraft 1.21.

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Optifine for Minecraft 1.21: Everything you need to know

Bogged and breeze in the trial chambers (Image via Mojang Studios)

Every Minecrafter who has ever set foot in the world of modding is well aware of the Optifine mod. This mod has options to improve visual quality and enhance performance for those with low-end or older systems.

However, Optifine is also known for its slow and delayed releases for newer versions, and players can expect this trend to continue with the 1.21 update. It took over two months for Optifine's developer to release the mod for the Tricky Trials update.

With the release of Optifine for Minecraft 1.21, players can follow the simple steps mentioned below to download it:

Step 1: Open a web browser and search for Optifine.

Step 2: Open the official website and download the mod installer for version 1.21.

Step 3: Launch the downloaded .jar file using Java.

Step 4: After ensuring the correct game directory is selected, click on the install button.

Once the process finishes, a new Optifine installation of the game will appear in the game launcher. Players can launch that installation and enjoy an improved gaming experience with all Optifine features.

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How to use shaders in Minecraft 1.21 Optifine

Astralex shaders (Image via Mojang Studios)

Shaders are the main feature every player looks forward to using when they install the Optifine mod. By downloading external shader files and utilizing them in-game with Optifine, the blocky world of Minecraft can be turned into something visually stunning.

To use shaders, players can follow these steps:

Step 1: Download a shader of your choice.

Step 2: Move the downloaded file to the shaderpacks folder in the game’s directory. Access it easily by pressing WIN+R and entering %appdata%/.minecraft/shaderpacks.

Step 3: Launch the Optifine installation of the game and navigate to the video settings.

Step 4: Here, find the shaders option, select, and apply the shader of choice.

The game may freeze for a couple of seconds as the changes take effect. The nice thing about shaders is that older versions can run fine on newer versions of the game. Therefore, players do not have to wait for their favorite shader to be updated for version 1.21.