Basic RTX Shaders Wiki › FAQ
Basic RTX Shaders FAQ
10 questions players actually ask, answered.
How do I turn on ray tracing after installing the mod?
Open your shader settings through Iris (usually by pressing a hotkey in-game or through Video Settings), then select Basic RTX Shaders from the available shader list. The ray-traced lighting will activate immediately once applied.
Why does my world look too dark with this shader?
Check that your monitor brightness and gamma settings are appropriate, and ensure you're not in a cave or underground area where shadows naturally dominate. If lighting effects are missing entirely, see the troubleshooting guide for missing lighting effects.
Can I use this shader with my custom resource pack?
Yes, Basic RTX Shaders works with custom resource packs, though the ray-traced lighting is optimized for vanilla textures. Custom packs may affect how light bounces and shadows appear on non-standard blocks.
What's the performance impact compared to vanilla Minecraft?
Ray tracing adds significant GPU load, so expect lower frame rates depending on your graphics card. Use the performance optimization guide to adjust render distance, resolution, and ray tracing intensity to find a balance that works for your system.
Do I need a high-end graphics card to use this shader?
A dedicated GPU with ray tracing support helps, but Basic RTX is designed as a lightweight demo that can run on mid-range cards. Older or integrated graphics may struggle; test it in a small world first to see if your hardware handles it.
Why don't reflections appear on water or other surfaces?
Basic RTX Shaders focuses on realistic lighting and shadows rather than full reflections on all surfaces. Water and some blocks may show subtle light interaction, but this shader prioritizes performance over mirror-like reflections.
Is this shader compatible with other mods like Sodium or OptiFine?
Basic RTX works through Iris, which is compatible with Sodium for better performance. OptiFine may conflict with Iris, so use one or the other, not both.
How do I compare the ray-traced lighting to normal Minecraft lighting?
Disable the shader temporarily through your Iris menu to see vanilla lighting side-by-side, or check the comparison guide for visual examples of how ray tracing changes shadows and light bounces.
Can I adjust how strong the shadows and light bounces are?
Some shader settings may be adjustable through Iris's shader options menu, though Basic RTX is a simplified shader with limited customization. Check your shader settings screen for available sliders or toggles.
Why do I see flickering or strange lighting artifacts?
Flickering often happens when ray tracing settings don't match your hardware capabilities. Try lowering render distance or disabling advanced ray tracing features in your shader settings, or update your graphics drivers.