OptiFine 1.20.1
Download For Windows PC

Optimize Minecraft's performance & improve its graphics by using the OptiFine Mod
Free Download
4.8/5 Votes: 261
Developer
sp614x
Updated
June 21, 2023
Size
6.7 MB
Version
1.20.1
Requirements
Minecraft 1.20.1 + Java (JRE)
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OptiFine is one of the most popular performance optimization mods for Minecraft Java Edition. It was originally released as a performance optimization mod but shortly after it also added support for Minecraft shaders and textures packs. It supports nearly all versions of Minecraft and is regularly updated as the game gets updated.

It is also officially compatible with Forge Mod Loader, so you can also run your mods in Minecraft. It is not officially compatible with Fabric but there are workarounds like OptiFabric mod to get your mods working. OF also works with Curseforge by loading it into a modpack.

One of its biggest features is the support for shaders and texture packs/resource packs. It has the biggest supported shader library. Texture packs/resource packs can also be installed seamlessly with it. This provides the player with almost an endless amount of visual customization options.

OptiFine increases the Minecraft Java Edition performance by optimizing the Minecraft standard background coding. It adds features like FPS boost, FPS control, configurable animations & details, faster math, etc. A poll held on Minecraftforum.net asked users about their estimated FPS increase with this mod. 42.7% (31,399 users out of 73,477) of the users in the poll voted for a 200% gain in FPS.

FPS gain with OF poll held on MinecraftForums.net
Source: Poll held to determine user’s FPS increase in Minecraft with the mod

Some minor visual enhancements such as dynamic lights, better grass, better snow, clear water, etc. are included with the mod resulting in the game feeling much more visually pleasing.

One thing to be noted is that it is strictly a client-side mod which means it only needs to be installed on the computer of the user. It is not supposed to be installed on a server and doing so will result in several issues.

Alternatives

We recommend using a combination of Iris Shaders (For shaders) and Sodium (for improved performance) as a true alternative to this mod.

Why Prefer OptiFine Over its Alternatives?

Here are a few reasons that might convince you to use it over the alternatives:

  • All-In-One Solution: It provides an all-in-one solution to improve Minecraft Java Edition’s performance and graphics by introducing built-in support for Minecraft shaders & textures packs. No other Minecraft mod can claim to do this all by itself.
  • Customization: It adds a variety of graphical customization options in the Video Settings tab inside Minecraft Java Edition. You can customize almost every graphical aspect of the game through these options.
    • For example, you can turn off the animation of the water, lava, smoke, etc.
  • Performance: Other mods like Sodium are known to improve FPS in Minecraft Java Edition but OF is in a league of its own. It makes Minecraft Java run smoothly on older hardware and on newer hardware it can double your FPS.
  • Ease of Use: It makes configuring Minecraft very easy by adding a feature that tells you what a certain graphical option does. Simply hovering over any graphic option will show you a detailed explanation of what that specific option does.

Mod Features

OF adds a lot of features, here are a few of them listed below:

  • FPS Boost: Increased the FPS significantly on most devices while decreasing lag spikes resulting in smoother gameplay.
  • Support for HD Textures: HD texture & HD font mods that modify terrain, colors, lighting, etc. are supported.
  • Support for Shaders: Adds support for the largest compatible Minecraft shaders library ever.
  • Dynamic Lights: Light-emitting items like lamps and handheld lights now illuminate.
  • Variable Render Distance: Can increase or decrease render distance to tiny or extreme (2 x Far) in 16m steps. Moon, Sun, and stars can be set to visible even in low render distances.
  • Configurable Smooth Lighting: Adjustable from 1% – 100%. Shadows are smoother at 100% and not boxy-looking.
  • VSync: Synchronize your framerate with your monitor’s refresh rate to eliminate screen tearing which results in smoother gameplay.
  • Smart Advanced OpenGL: More efficient rendering which results in fewer artifacts. Can be set to Fast or Fancy.
  • Fog Control: Control over how fog works in-game.
  • Mipmaps: Smooth the texture detail on items that makes them look better when viewed from a distance.
  • Anisotropic Filtering: Restores details in mipmapped textures. This can be adjusted between OFF and up to 16 (depending on your hardware).
  • Anti-aliasing: Makes rough edges and jagged lines smoother and adds sharp color transitions. Can be set between OFF up to 16 (hardware dependent).
  • Better Grass: Fixes the side textures of grass blocks to match the surrounding grass terrain.
  • Better Snow: Fixes the textures of the transparent blocks to match the surrounding snow terrain.
  • Clear Water: Changes water so that it is clearer and has better visibility underwater.
  • Random Mobs: It can use random mob textures if they’re available in the texture pack.
  • Connected Textures: Connects the textures for grass, glass panes, sandstone, and bookshelf blocks that are next to each other giving an improved and better visual feel to Minecraft.
  • Natural Textures: Completely removes the gridlike pattern that is created when using blocks of the same type repeatedly.
  • Chunk Loading Control:
    • Load Far – loads the world chunks at distance Far, allows fast render distance switching
    • Preloaded Chunks – defines an area in which no new chunks will be loaded
    • Chunk Updates per Frame – allows for faster world loading
    • Dynamic Updates – loads more chunks per frame when the player is standing still
  • Configurable Details & Animations: Details like trees, grass, clouds, etc. are fully adjustable now. Animations of water, lava, fire, explosions, etc can also be turned OFF or ON as to your liking.
  • Fast Texture Pack Switching: Allows for switching between texture packs without leaving the world.
  • Fullscreen Resolution: Manually adjustable fullscreen resolution instead of being locked to one.
  • Time Control: Full control over time, you can swap between Day, Night, or back to default. (Only available in Creative Mode).
  • Autosave: Allows for changing of intervals between autosaves. This also fixes the famous Lag Spike of Death.

What is OptiFine Cape?

OF Cape is a gift/reward for donating to the developer of the mod. Players can wear it on their character’s back and other players using the same mod can see it. There are plenty of cape designs available and you can even create your own design using the Cape Editor. Here’s how to access the Cape Design Editor:

  • Download and install the latest version of the mod.
  • Start Minecraft Java Edition.
  • Go to Minecraft’s Settings -> Skin Customization -> OF Cape -> Open Cape Editor.

This will automatically redirect you to the Cape Editor webpage.

Compatibility

OptiFine with Mod Loaders

It is only compatible with Forge out of the three famous mod loaders. It does not officially support Fabric & QuiltMC but Fabric users can make use of the OptiFabric mod.

OptiFine with Curseforge

It is compatible with Curseforge but in order to use it, we will need to add it into a modpack. Scroll down to the How to Install section or for detailed installation instructions visit this guide page here.

Note: This mod will not show up in the list of mods inside the modpack. This is because it was manually installed. To check if it’s working you can open Minecraft’s Video Settings.

Optifine for MacOS

This mod is compatible with MacOS which means you can use it on your Apple devices like Macbook, iMac, etc. The steps for using it are almost identical to the Windows version except for one. For more detailed Mac installation instructions visit this guide page here.

Java for Minecraft

Before proceeding onwards, you must have Java for Minecraft installed. You can download it from our Java download page.

How to Download OptiFine:

OptiFine download is available at the top of this page. If you’re looking for an older version then scroll to the bottom.

How to Install OptiFine (All available methods)

Listed below are all valid methods of installing OF on different platforms and mod loaders. We also have a dedicated page linked here which covers all aspects. Follow the steps for the method that you need:

Installing OF in Vanilla Minecraft (Windows):

Step 1: Download the supported version of the mod and launch it.

Step 2: Click on the Install button to begin the installation.

Installing OF in MacOS:

Short instructions for the installation of this MC mod in MacOS are provided below. For further details visit this page.

Step 1: Install Java for Mac

Step 2: Download OptiFine and open the *.jar file to access the installer.

Step 3: Click on Install to complete the installation.

Installing OF In CurseForge:

Installing this mod in Curseforge is different from the rest of the methods, as it needs to be added to a modpack for it to work in Minecraft. Here’s how you can add it in a Curseforge modpack:

Step 1: In the Curseforge launcher go to the My Modpacks tab and select the modpack you wish to add it to.

Step 2: Click on the three dots next to the Play button in the modpack and from the drop-down menu click on Open Folder.

Step 3: Place the supported version of the mod (by the modpack) into the mods folder.

You can now use it with the Curseforge launcher. Simply launch the game, and head over to Video Settings to see if it is working.

Note: OF mod will not show up in the list of mods inside the modpack. This is because it was manually installed. To check if it’s working you can open Minecraft’s Video Settings.

How to Download and Install OptiFine with Forge?

Installing this mod with Forge is different than installing it as its own profile in the Minecraft Launcher. However, the process of OptiFine download is the same. Follow the steps below to install and use it with Forge.

Step 1: Download the mod installer from this download page.

Step 2: Once downloaded instead of running the jar file, move it into the mods folder inside Minecraft Java Edition’s install directory located in: “Local Disk (C:) > Users > (Your PC Name) > AppData > Roaming > .minecraft > mods”.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

I Can’t install Optifine.

If you can’t install it then check to see if you have the right version downloaded for your Minecraft. Also, make sure you have Java installed as that is one of the main issues for people who face this problem. If you have Java installed but still cannot open the jar file then it might be a case of the hijacked jar file. This problem can be resolved by using Jarfix or reinstalling Java.

Which edition should I get?

You do not need to worry about which edition to get anymore because as of v1.18, only the ultra edition exists which includes everything you might need for Minecraft.

Does it work in multiplayer also?

Yes, it works in multiplayer modes because it is allowed on the official servers of Minecraft because it affects the visuals and performance of the game.

How to use the zoom feature of the mod in Minecraft Java Edition?

You can press "C" to use the enhanced zoom-in feature in this Mod. Vanilla Minecraft Java Edition has a zoom feature too but you can’t zoom as much.

Is Optifine safe?

It is a very popular and highly downloaded MC Java Edition mod as such it is completely safe to use. The mod being allowed on the official servers of Minecraft should be proof enough of its safety.

How to get Optifine Cape?

OF Cape is given as a reward for donating to the dev (sp614x). If you enjoy using this mod we recommend heading over to the developer’s website and supporting them. This will ensure that you get the Cape.

How to update OF mod?

It is a mod that cannot update itself, so it needs to be updated manually. This can either be done through your Minecraft Launcher, if it supports it otherwise the newer version will need to be downloaded and installed again.

How to use it in Minecraft?

OF introduces a bunch of new options in Minecraft’s Video Settings. These options can be modified to increase the performance further or make the game look more visually appealing. If you’re confused about any option, just hover over it and it will show what that specific option does.

Optifine cannot find Minecraft 1.19.

To fix this error, go to the Installations tab in your Minecraft Launcher and create a new installation of the same version in which you’re encountering the error. Once the new installation is completed, launch it and it will install its own Java (JDK/JRE). After this is done, close the game and proceed to install it. You will see that the problem is now fixed.

How to add this mod to Minecraft 1.20?

To add the mod to Minecraft simply download the version you wish to install. You will see a .jar (Java) file, run it and click on Install. That’s all, it is now added to Minecraft.

How to use OF with Forge?

To use it with Forge, download the version you want to use and place it in the mods folder inside Minecraft’s installation directory. It can be found in “Local Disk (C:) > Users > (Your PC Name) > AppData > Roaming > .minecraft > mods”.

How to use(add) this Minecraft mod with Curseforge?

To use it with Curseforge, you will need to add it to a modpack. In the Curseforge launcher go to the My Modpacks tab, select the modpack you wish to add it to, and click on the three dots next to the Play button. From the drop-down menu click on Open Folder. Place the supported version of the mod (by the modpack) into the mods folder. That’s it you can now use OF with the Curseforge launcher.

Do you need this mod to install texture packs?

No, it is not needed to install texture packs/resource packs. Texture packs can be installed even in Minecraft Bedrock Edition.

Does OF work with Fabric & Forge?

OF works with Forge but not Fabric due to a lack of support. However, Fabric users can utilize the OptiFabric mod to make it work with Fabric.

Does this mod work with MC Bedrock & Mac?

Mac is officially supported by this mod but it won’t work on the Bedrock Edition of MC.

Where do I put the Jar file?

If you are installing it into Minecraft’s Forge version then place the jar file in the mods folder inside Minecraft’s install directory located in: “Local Disk (C:) > Users > (Your PC Name) > AppData > Roaming > .minecraft > mods”.

Can it be installed on a server?

OF is strictly a client-side-only mod. This means that the mod is only installed on the client’s computer and is not supposed to be installed on a server.

OptiFine Latest Version 1.20.1 Update

OptiFine 1.20.1_HD_U_I5_pre4
updated to 1.20.1
compatible with Forge 47.0.3

Download OptiFine Old Versions

Version Size Requirements Date
1.20 6.7 MB Minecraft 1.20 + Java (JRE) 21/06/2023
1.19.4 6.7 MB Minecraft 1.19.4 + Java (JRE) 07/04/2023
1.19.3 6.7 MB Minecraft 1.19.3 + Java (JRE) 24/03/2023
1.19.2 6.6 MB Minecraft 1.19.2 + Java (JRE) 23/06/2023
1.19.1 6.5 MB Minecraft 1.19.1 + Java (JRE) 20/08/2022
1.19 6.5 MB Minecraft 1.19 + Java (JRE) 31/07/2022
1.18.2 6.4 MB Minecraft 1.18.2 + Java (JRE) 26/06/2023
1.18.1 6.2 MB Minecraft 1.18.1 + Java (JRE) 24/03/2022
1.18 6.2 MB Minecraft 1.18 + Java (JRE) 06/12/2021
1.17.1 6.04 MB Minecraft 1.17.1 + Java (JRE) 04/11/2021

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