Gaming > Consoles & PCs How to Install Minecraft Shaders Create amazing lighting and shadow effects By Brad Stephenson Brad Stephenson Facebook Twitter Freelance Contributor Western Sydney University Brad Stephenson is a freelance tech and geek culture writer with 12+ years' experience. He writes about Windows 10, Xbox One, and cryptocurrency. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on July 18, 2022 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email In This Article Expand Jump to a Section How to Get Shaders in Minecraft How to Install Shaders in Minecraft How to Turn on Shaders in Minecraft What to Know Download MCPACK shader files from reputable sources like mcpedl.com.Open MCPACK shader file. Minecraft will open automatically and begin installation.In Minecraft select Create New World > Resource Packs > My Packs > choose shader > Activate. This article explains how to locate, install, and use shaders in Minecraft for Windows 10 and Minecraft Bedrock Edition. How to Get Shaders in Minecraft Shaders for Minecraft are created by other players and uploaded to websites as a free download. The Minecraft shaders contain all of the coding and visual elements needed to make the changes to a Minecraft world which are all compressed into a single MCPACK file. Because Minecraft shaders aren’t tested or approved by Microsoft, it’s important to only download files from third-party websites that have earned a good reputation among players. You don’t want to infect your computer with malware or a virus. One of the more-popular Minecraft shader download sites, and the one where we got the shader for this guide from, is mcpedl.com. How to Install Shaders in Minecraft Downloading and installing Minecraft shaders is relatively straightforward and doesn’t require any hacking or the installation of any third-party plugins or programs. Here’s how to add shaders to Minecraft. On the same computer you have Minecraft installed on, open your preferred web browser, go to mcpedl.com, then find a shader that you want to install. For this example, we’ll use the WinterCraft shader which can be downloaded here. Click Download. The shader file should immediately begin to download, but sometimes a link could take you to an external file download site. If it does, don’t click any banners or ads. Only click the secondary download link. Once the file finishes downloading, click it. Many web browsers will display the downloaded file along the bottom of the screen. If yours doesn’t, you will need to find it in your browser’s designated Downloads folder. Minecraft will automatically open and begin the import process. This should only take a few seconds. Microsoft How to Turn on Shaders in Minecraft Once a shader has been imported into your Minecraft game, it will remain available for you to use in any worlds you create. You don’t need to import a MCPACK shader file more than once. Ready to activate a Minecraft shader that you’ve downloaded? This is how to use shaders in Minecraft once you’ve installed them. With Minecraft open on your PC, click Play. Microsoft Click Create New. Microsoft Click Create New World. Microsoft Click Resource Packs. Microsoft Click My Packs, then click the name of the shader pack you want to add to your new world. Microsoft Click Activate. Microsoft Click Active to check that the Minecraft shader has been added to your world. Microsoft Change any options you want to adjust, then click Create. Microsoft Your new Minecraft world will now load with your shader enabled. Microsoft Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit