Minecraft Optifine 1.20.5 is a long way away from release

OptiFine mod for Minecraft 1.20.5 update could take a while to release. The latest update brought a new Armadillo mob, wolf armor, and wolf variants to the sandbox game. The modding community usually updates their mods to match the updates made in the game. Although they have been quite quick in updating their mods for previous game updates, it may take some time for them to release an updated mod for the 1.20.5 game version.

OptiFine is one of the most famous performance mods in Minecraft that can drastically improve the overall smoothness of the game. Though there are several other competitor performance mods, OptiFine is still used by millions. With every update, many eagerly wait for the modders to update it.

Here is why the popular performance mod could take time to update for the latest 1.20.5 update, and also the latest 1.20.6 update.

---

Reasons why Minecraft OptiFine 1.20.5 could take time to release

OptiFine 1.20.5 progression bar still at 10%

As of now, the mod for 1.20.5 is still stuck at 10% (Image via Sportskeeda)

Over the years, the mod grew a massive following of its own, including players who religiously used and followed their modding team's progress. Hence, they have an official server on Discord where modders often communicate with the player base.

In the server, there is a locked channel that simply shows a progression bar for the upcoming mod version. The progression bar for the 1.20.5 update is stuck at 10% currently, even though the game update is already out.

This implies that it can take the team several days or even a month before they release a stable version of the Armored Paws update.

---

Mojang Studios releasing the 1.20.6 update as a hotfix could further delay the OptiFine update

Soon after Mojang Studios released the Minecraft 1.20.5 Armored Paws update, a few players started reporting a bug that they discovered. The minor bug was related to trader llama mobs, whose inventory was getting corrupted when players switched from 1.20.4 to 1.20.5.

To fix this issue, the Swedish game developers released a hotfix in the form of a separate update - 1.20.6.

While the developers were already working on a mod for 1.20.5, they will now have to make one for 1.20.6 and bring changes to the mod accordingly. Even though there is not a lot of difference between the two game versions, creating a faultless mod for a specific version can be quite tricky.

---

Alternatives to Minecraft OptiFine 1.20.5

While players wait for the famous performance mod to release for 1.20.5 or 1.20.6 game versions, they can try out some great alternatives.

One of the best alternatives is Sodium mod combined with Iris Shaders. This performance mod does the same job as OptiFine and can be combined with Iris Shaders to support shader packs.

Players can search for Iris Shaders and download the latest jar file. Upon opening, it will install the latest Iris Shaders and Sodium compatible with a game version. As of now, they support 1.20.5, and can soon support 1.20.6 as well.