Optimize Performance While Maintaining Visual Quality

Identify Performance-Heavy Features

Open the shader menu and locate settings for shadow distance, volumetric lighting samples, water reflection quality, and render distance. These typically have the biggest impact on frame rate.

Reduce Demanding Settings Strategically

Lower shadow render distance first—this keeps nearby shadows crisp while reducing distant shadow calculations. Decrease volumetric lighting sample count to reduce ray-tracing overhead. If water reflections cause stuttering, lower reflection resolution or intensity.

Reduce ambient occlusion quality if available, as this darkens crevices and corners but is computationally expensive.

Maintain Visual Cohesion

Avoid disabling features entirely; instead, dial them back. A slightly softer sunbeam at reduced sample count still looks better than no volumetric lighting. Keep shadow intensity high even if distance is reduced—nearby shadows define the pixel aesthetic.

Test and Benchmark

Make one change at a time and play for several minutes in varied terrain. Monitor frame rate in forests, caves, and open areas. Once you find a stable balance, save your configuration. You can always revisit settings if performance improves or you upgrade hardware.