Refractal Shaders Wiki › FAQ
Refractal Shaders FAQ
10 questions players actually ask, answered.
How do I turn on Refractal Shaders?
Open Options > Video Settings > Shader Packs, select Refractal Shaders from the list, and apply it. To confirm it's working, quickly turn your camera to check for motion blur, then look at some water to check for surface distortion.
I enabled it but nothing looks different, what's wrong?
Make sure Refractal Shaders is the selected pack in the Shader Packs menu and that you applied the change. The effects are easy to miss when you stand still, so move your camera or walk around to trigger motion blur, and look at a water surface to see the distortion.
Does Refractal Shaders need to be installed on the server?
No. Shaders are purely visual and run on your own client. Only you see the effects, and you can use them on any server without the server having anything installed.
The motion blur makes building and PvP hard, can I reduce it?
Open the shader pack's settings from the Shader Packs menu and look for a motion blur option you can lower or turn off. If you only need precision for a moment, such as parkour jumps or combat, you can also switch the shader pack off temporarily and turn it back on afterward.
Why is the edge of my screen blurry but the middle is sharp?
That's the focus blur effect. It highlights whatever is in your direct line of sight, so look straight at the object you want to see clearly.
Does Refractal change Minecraft's block textures?
No. It keeps the familiar blocky art style and only changes the visual presentation through blur and liquid distortion effects. Your blocks still look like your current textures.
How do I see the water distortion effect best?
Look across a water surface at a shallow angle, or watch flowing water, where the distortion is most noticeable. The effect also applies to other liquid surfaces, not only water.
Will Refractal Shaders lower my FPS?
Blur and distortion are extra rendering effects, so expect some performance cost compared to playing without shaders. If your frame rate drops, lower your render distance or turn down any effects you don't need in the shader settings.
How do I take good screenshots with the focus blur?
Press F1 to hide the HUD and aim directly at your subject so the focus blur makes it stand out from the background. Hold the camera still when you take the shot so motion blur doesn't smear the image, unless you want a deliberate sense of movement.
Can I run Refractal Shaders together with another shader pack?
No. Only one shader pack can be active at a time. Switching to a different pack in the Shader Packs menu replaces Refractal's effects entirely.