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Photonics: A Raytracing Mod
An Iris extension that adds voxel based raytracing to Minecraft. With a focus on performance, Photonics is able to deliver performance comparable to that of hardware raytracing.
Shaders that support Photonics:
- Euphoria Patches (requires 1.9.0+ and Photonics v0.3.4+)
- Photon (requires latest from Github & Photonics v0.3.4+)
- Eclipse (requires latest version from Github & Photonics v0.3.4)
- Shrimple (requires latest from GIthub & Photonics v0.3.4+)
Support patched in by the photonics mod:
- BSL (Photonics v0.3.0+ requires 10.1+, v0.2.9 or below requires 8.2.9)
Features
By using it's custom voxel raytracing, Photonics adds many visually stunning effects:
Soft Shadows
Every block casts beautiful soft shadows from block lights!
Global Illumination
Tired of how dull the world is in shadow? Worry not! Photonics adds accurate Global Illumination to shadows.
3D Blocks
Using its voxel raytracing, Photonics can render 16x16x16 block models directly!
Custom Models can also be implemented using MagicaVoxel.
Colored Glass Lighting
Photonics can tint the color of light that passes through glass, casting colored shadows over objects.
Up to 20 lights per chunk
By default, traces 20 lights per chunk, with shader settings allowing you to increase that number to 100!
Notice
- Photonics doesn't utilise Hardware Raytracing, and because Minecraft is built on OpenGL, building in Hardware Raytracing is unfortunately not possible
- This mod is still in Alpha, bugs and compatibility issues are to be expected
- Any mod that modifies Minecraft Rendering/Chunk loading will affect compatibility
- MacOS is not supported!
Development
Updates on the Development can be seen on its Discord server: Photonics Official
All Versions
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[0.3.4+1.21.11] 0.3.4+1.21.11
by Redi2Go on Oct 15, 2026
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## Changes
## Bug Fixes:
- Increased default accumulation frames to 32
## Bug Fixes:
- Fix denoiser artifacts at low resolution
- Fix
photonics.enableBlockLightnot working with ReSTIR
[0.3.3+1.21.11] 0.3.3+1.21.11
by Redi2Go on Oct 15, 2026
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## Bug Fixes:
- Fix Gi being disabled by default on simple lighting
[0.3.2+1.21.11] 0.3.2+1.21.11
by Redi2Go on Oct 15, 2026
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## Changes:
## Bug Fixes:
## Supported shaders
Release made by @Essentuan
- Added 2 additional spatial reuse passes for disocclusion. This is another big improvement to ReSTIRs noise while in motion.
- Improved clarity of simple lighting in motion
- Added new option ReSTIR Combined Gi, which passes Gi through ReSTIRs denoiser, improving clairity at the cost of performance and noise.
## Bug Fixes:
- Fix black stripes on Gi with low resolution
- Fix more Photon issues with LOD chunks
- Fix ReSTIR breaking when handheld lighting is disabled
- Fix ReSTIR denoiser artifacts when using low render resolution
## Supported shaders
- [Photon](https://github.com/sixthsurge/photon) (requires latest version from Github)
- BSL v10.1 (exact version)
Release made by @Essentuan
[0.3.1+1.21.11] The ReSTIR Update
by Redi2Go on Oct 15, 2026
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## Changes:
## Bug Fixes:
## Supported shaders
Release made by @Essentuan
- Added a new lighting method (ReSTIR), disabled by default. Compared to Simple (the old method), ReSTIR can trace up to Max Lights at the cost of a little noise.
- Improve GI flicker at large distances (especially with low render resolution)
- Max voxelized block states has been increased from ~4k to ~8k
- Photonics will now show an error message in chat if the max voxelized block states has been reached
- Added a new option to adjust the strength of lighting from held enchanted items
- Added a new global toggle for 3D Blocks in Photonics settings
- Added SSR fallback when using WSR with Photon
- Change handheld lighting to calculate independently for each hand. It will by default use 2 rays for visibility (meaning each hand will cast its own shadow!), but can be changed to a single ray in settings
- Made handheld respect falloff/radius of lights, it should now look more similar to lights placed on the ground
- Made handheld properly interact with normal mapping
## Bug Fixes:
- Fix 3d blocks being broken by 3d leave packs
- Fix max lights breaking above 1000
- Fix lighting being gone in LOD (Voxy/DH) chunks with Photon
- Fix GI flickering with TAA enabled with BSL
- Fix handheld not respecting main hand in skin settings
## Supported shaders
- [Photon](https://github.com/sixthsurge/photon) (requires latest version from Github)
- BSL v10.1 (exact version)
Release made by @Essentuan
[0.3.0+1.21.11] Photonics 0.3.0
by Redi2Go on Oct 15, 2026
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## Changes
## Supported shaders
Release made by @Essentuan
- Added photon patch (with world space reflections!)
- Eclipse shaders now have native support for Photonics
- Transparency support
- Added some new options to BSL and Photon
- Shader API
- Fast response times for RT (Photonics should now react almost instantly to world changes!)
- Rewritten config system + New light values/colors
- Fixes for some 3d blocks being black
- Fixes GI starting out as green
- A new
shader-patchesfolder in .minecraft - Fixes BSL10.1 compiler errors in the end
## Supported shaders
- [Photon](https://github.com/sixthsurge/photon) (requires latest version from Github)
- [Eclipse](https://github.com/Merlin1809/Eclipse-Shader) (requires latest version from Github)
- BSL v10.1 (exact version; TAA is broken!)
Release made by @Essentuan
[0.2.9+1.21.11] Photonics 0.2.9
by Redi2Go on Oct 15, 2026
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Photonics 0.2.9 is here!
- Improved performance
- Added soft shadows
- Some bug fixes
[0.2.9] Photonics 0.2.9
by Redi2Go on Oct 15, 2026
Download
Photonics 0.2.9 is here!
- Improved performance
- Added soft shadows
- Some bug fixes
[0.2.9] Photonics 0.2.9
by Redi2Go on Oct 15, 2026
Download
Photonics 0.2.9 is here!
- Improved performance
- Added soft shadows
- Some bug fixes
[0.2.9] Photonics 0.2.9
by Redi2Go on Oct 15, 2026
Download
Photonics 0.2.9 is here!
- Improved performance
- Added soft shadows
[0.2.9] Photonics 0.2.9
by Redi2Go on Oct 15, 2026
Download
Photonics 0.2.9 is here!
- Improved performance
- Added soft shadows
[0.2.8] Photonics 0.2.8
by Redi2Go on Oct 15, 2026
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Photonics 0.2.8 is here!
- Improved lighting
- 3D block rendering is back!
- Configuration settings for 3D block rendering and raytraced light sources!
- Moved Photonics-Enable settings into BSL settings menu
- Fixed flickering issue in distant lighting
- Preparing stuff for supporting other shader packs!
- Iris 1.8.8 support
[0.2.8] Photonics 0.2.8
by Redi2Go on Oct 15, 2026
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Photonics 0.2.8 is here!
- Improved lighting
- 3D block rendering is back!
- Configuration settings for 3D block rendering and raytraced light sources!
- Moved Photonics-Enable settings into BSL settings menu
- Fixed flickering issue in distant lighting
- Preparing stuff for supporting other shader packs!
- Iris 1.8.8 support
[0.2.7] Photonics 0.2.7
by Redi2Go on Oct 15, 2026
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Photonics 0.2.7 is here!
- Photonics now extends the BSL lighting system, instead of replacing it (e.g. Rain Puddles are not working correctly)
- Handheld items now illuminate entities as well
- Many backend changes to prepare for the upcoming Complementary Shaders support
[0.2.6] Photonics 0.2.6 (Iris 1.8.1)
by Redi2Go on Oct 15, 2026
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Photonics 0.2.6 is here!
Requires Iris 1.8.1 & BSL v8.2.09
- PBR support (Enable Advanced Materials and use a PBR resource pack, like Vanilla Pbr)
- Sun light now majorily contributes to indirect lighting
- Increased the indirect lighting intensity
- Grass doesn't look terrible anymore
- Temporarily removed "3D blocks"
Requires Iris 1.8.1 & BSL v8.2.09
[0.2.6] Photonics 0.2.6 (Iris 1.7.3)
by Redi2Go on Oct 15, 2026
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Photonics 0.2.6 is here!
Requires Iris 1.7.3 & BSL v8.2.09
- PBR support (Enable Advanced Materials and use a PBR resource pack, like Vanilla Pbr)
- Sun light now majorily contributes to indirect lighting
- Increased the indirect lighting intensity
- Grass doesn't look terrible anymore
- Temporarily removed "3D blocks"
Requires Iris 1.7.3 & BSL v8.2.09
[0.2.5] Photonics 0.2.5; Java 22
by Redi2Go on Oct 15, 2026
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Photonics 0.2.5 is here!
- Support for Minecraft 1.21.1 & 1.20.1
- Shader settings can now be changed again
- Fixed bug where Redstone Lamps would emit light when turned off again, thanks @Cat-Gaming
- Fixed bug where Beacons would emit red light instead of red light, thanks @kimskaj
[0.2.5] Photonics 0.2.5; Java 22
by Redi2Go on Oct 15, 2026
Download
Photonics 0.2.5 is here!
- Support for Minecraft 1.21.1 & 1.20.1
- Shader settings can now be changed again
- Fixed bug where Redstone Lamps would emit light when turned off again, thanks @Cat-Gaming
- Fixed bug where Beacons would emit red light instead of red light, thanks @kimskaj
[0.2.5] Photonics 0.2.5; Java 22
by Redi2Go on Oct 15, 2026
Download
Photonics 0.2.5 is here!
- Support for Minecraft 1.21.1 & 1.20.1
- Shader settings can now be changed again
- Fixed bug where Redstone Lamps would emit light when turned off again, thanks @Cat-Gaming
- Fixed bug where Beacons would emit red light instead of red light, thanks @kimskaj
[0.2.4] Photonics 0.2.4
by Redi2Go on Oct 15, 2026
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Photonics 0.2.4 is here!
As always, I'm very excited to hear your feedback on my [Twitter page](https://x.com/EnginePhotonic)
- Support for Minecraft 1.21.1
- Entites are now properly lighted
- Photonics can be enabled and disabled
As always, I'm very excited to hear your feedback on my [Twitter page](https://x.com/EnginePhotonic)
[0.2.3] Photonics 0.2.3
by Redi2Go on Oct 15, 2026
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Photonics 0.2.3 is here!
- Changing shader settings don't require a restart anymore
- Fix for mod-breaking bug that leads to the game crashing when entering a world
[0.2.2] Photonics 0.2.2
by Redi2Go on Oct 15, 2026
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New major release:
- Addition of Shadow Mapping (Entities cast shadows!)
- Render Distance increased to 15 chunks + **Distant Horizons** support)
- Bug fixes (Huge thanks to everyone who reported issues on Github)
[0.2.1] Photonics 0.2.1
by Redi2Go on Oct 15, 2026
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This release adds colored, light emitting blocks that greatly increase the visual quality. Take a visit in the nether and be amazed by the new, highly dynamic lighting you can find there!
[0.2.0] Photonics 0.2.0
by Redi2Go on Oct 15, 2026
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## Photonics has transformed!
Photonics is not a standalone Graphics engine anymore.
Instead it acts as a Raytracing extension to the fantastic Iris mod.
Currently supported shaderpacks:
### Note
Installed and enabled BSL with *exact* version is required. Once ingame, the shaderpack cannot be changed/deactivated.
### Please report any bugs or shortcomings on my Github page, thanks and have fun!
Photonics is not a standalone Graphics engine anymore.
Instead it acts as a Raytracing extension to the fantastic Iris mod.
Currently supported shaderpacks:
- BSL v8.2.09
### Note
Installed and enabled BSL with *exact* version is required. Once ingame, the shaderpack cannot be changed/deactivated.
### Please report any bugs or shortcomings on my Github page, thanks and have fun!
