Top 5 shaders for low-end PCs in Minecraft 1.19 update

There are two ways for players to influence the look of Minecraft: shaders and resource packs. Resource packs primarily change the game’s textures and sounds, making every item and block look different. Then there are shaders, which change how the game processes light, shadows, and water by adding elements like real-time lighting, reflections, and waving leaves.

However, the game’s most popular shaders require immensely powerful PCs that many Minecraft players might not have. While some shaders can be hard to use on weaker rigs, numerous options do exist that enhance the look of the game without impacting performance too much.

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5 amazing shaders for low-end PCs for Minecraft 1.19

5) Complimentary Reimaged

The example area with Complimentary Reimagined shaders applied (Image via Minecraft)

Complimentary Reimagined, also known as CR, stands out from many other lower-end shaders due to the inclusion of directional shadows that occur when light hits things like mountains, trees, and grass. These shadows are not as exaggerated as found in some other shaders, which can either be a positive or a negative based on player preference.

There is also a performance-saving measure that can be seen in the distance, which takes the form of a moderate amount of fog. Before this fog, players will see a slight haze, which is also presumably a performance-saving measure. The water found in this shader is lighter in coloration than vanilla water and more transparent than vanilla water.

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4) YoFPS

The example area with YoFPS shaders applied (Image via Minecraft)

One of the most apparent aspects of the YoFPS Shader is how intensely bright it is. When compared to the vanilla game, this shader is much brighter, which has both advantages and disadvantages.

The biggest advantage of this extra luminance is that it is much easier to see in dark environments like caves and ravines. However, it also makes it harder to tell what areas of a base might be able to spawn mobs.

The colors featured in this shader are much more vibrant than their vanilla counterparts. For example, foliage, especially leaves, are a much more vibrant emerald green color. Water is much more translucent than in the base game as well, making it easier for players to see what might be hidden below. There is also a light fog in the distance, helping cover the end of the render distance.

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3) Builder’s QoL

The example area with BQL shaders applied (Image via Minecraft)

Builder’s Quality of Life, or BQL, has some interesting and unique properties as a shader. The most obvious aspect of this shader is the aggressive fog players can see at medium to long distances. Things just a few dozen blocks away are almost totally obscured by fog, making this almost a horror-lite shader.

This shader features the most beautiful water found in any shader on this list. The shader adds slight waves, which is enough to add a sense of realism without being distracting. The coloration of the water is a nice light blue and has high transparency.

Colors all around are generally better and more vibrant than in the vanilla game. Grass is one of the best areas to see this, as it is a much more vibrant emerald green than the grass found in vanilla Minecraft.

There is a total absence of directional shadows in this shader, which contributes to it being good for lower-end PCs. However, some players may prefer having shadows with a minimal impact on performance.

An interesting addition to BQL is that the regular enchantment aura has been replaced by a rainbow shimmer rather than the basic purple shimmer.

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2) Tea Shaders

The example area with Tea shaders applied (Image via Minecraft)

Tea Shaders is another brighter shader, which is best seen on the edges of blocks found in hills and cliffs. These blocks are typically quite dark in vanilla MC, but in Tea Shaders, the sides, edges, and tops of the blocks are all the same brightness. Most of the coloration featured in the shader is similar to vanilla colors, but the added shadows help features such as grass pop from most angles.

One of the most iconic aspects of Tea Shaders is the water. Water in this shader stands out from the competition by not being hyper-reflective nor totally transparent. Instead, the water found in Tea is a beautiful deep blue color, with roughly the same opacity as the water found in the vanilla game.

Unlike most of the other shaders on this list that feature some kind of distance fog to help performance, Tea allows players to see all the way up until the game is not loaded in, giving players the ability to see anything that might be nearby.

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1) Sildur’s Enhanced Default Fancy/Fast

The example area with Sildur's Enhanced Default Fancy shaders applied (Image via Minecraft)

There are two versions of Sildur’s Enhanced Default. There is a Fast version that only cares about maintaining frame rate while improving a few aspects of the game, and the fancy version, which improves a lot more aspects while seeing a minor impact on FPS. The version discussed here is the Fancy version.

The best part of this shader is its impact on lighting. Players can see this change in lighting across many of the game’s most common features and building items, such as trees, grass, fences, caves, and ravines. All of this, and more, will cast shadows based on the sun's current location.

The water added in Sildur’s is less transparent than in vanilla Minecraft and also features one of the biggest changes in the game’s coloration. The water appears as a slightly darker shade of blue.

The colors are, for the most part, identical to those in the base game. This is both a good and bad thing. Good because it will be familiar and require little in terms of adjustment, and bad because the colors featured in the base game are not the most vibrant.