How to Configure Distant Horizons LOD Quality and Render Distance

Understanding the Two Distance Systems

Distant Horizons renders terrain as simplified Level of Detail (LOD) chunks beyond your normal render distance. Your vanilla render distance controls nearby detail; Distant Horizons controls how far the simplified terrain extends. These are separate settings, so raising one without the other won't help.

Adjusting the Settings

Open the Distant Horizons config screen from the mod menu or by pressing the keybind you assigned. Look for the Render Distance slider — this is measured in chunks and controls how far LOD terrain appears. Start moderate and increase gradually while watching your framerate.

Next, find the Quality or LOD Quality preset. Lower quality means chunkier, less detailed distant terrain but better performance. Higher quality smooths the transition between vanilla terrain and LODs.

Enable Vanilla Fade or the transition option so the boundary between real chunks and LODs blends instead of popping. If terrain looks blocky at the seam, increase the fade distance.

Testing Performance

Move to a high vantage point and look toward the horizon. If you see stuttering when new LODs load, lower render distance or quality. If distant terrain looks too jagged, raise quality. Tune both until the horizon looks natural without tanking your framerate.