In terms of graphics, Minecraft Java Edition seems to be struggling since the Bedrock edition got RTX support. However, thanks to modders like the creators of Optifine, we have a few reliable solutions. We will explain how to download and install Optifine in Minecraft to improve graphics in the game. For gamers still confused about the RTX availability, find out more differences between Minecraft Java vs Bedrock Edition to understand the situation better. With that out of the way, let’s overcome the graphics differences and figure out how to install Optifine in Minecraft Java.
Optifine is one of the most popular Minecraft mods that once was initially focused on improving performance. Now, it’s one of the most effective solutions to optimize the overall game graphics without compromising on the FPS. Once installed, we will also detail the best settings you should use to make your Minecraft worlds look beautiful. Though, let’s not jump ahead of ourselves and understand how it works first.
What Does Optifine Mod Do in Minecraft?
Optifine isn’t only a custom add-on or mod for Minecraft; it’s a combination of several mods and optimization settings. It helps you run shaders as well as optimizes texture or resource packs enhancing the overall visual experience of Minecraft. Even without shaders, it offers various graphical improvements. We can install Optifine directly over our game to make it available as a separate profile in our launcher. Or, we can install it using Minecraft Forge. You will find both of these methods below.
Minecraft players love the creators of Optifine because it literally has no minimum requirements other than the game itself. If you have a lower-end PC, you need Optifine to make sure you get a minor FPS boost and an overall smoother gameplay experience. As for medium- and higher-end PC gamers, having Optifine is an initial step to go to the next level of graphical experience.
How to Download OptiFine for your Minecraft Version
Before you even visit the download page, make sure you know the Minecraft version you are running on your PC. Checking it is fairly simple. You only need to launch your game, and you will see the version number at the bottom left corner of the screen.
- After clicking on the download button, you might see a skippable ads page. Don’t click on anything on that page except the Skip button at the top right corner. It will show up after 5-10 seconds.
How to Install OptiFine in Minecraft
- Now, you can open your Minecraft launcher, and you will find Optifine pre-installed in there. To select it, click on the “downward arrow” next to your profile name, select Optifine from the list, and click Play.
The process here is almost identical to installing Optifine without Forge, so you don’t have to worry about a lot. Make sure you have installed Forge. If not, follow our handy guide on how to install Forge to use mods in Minecraft. If you are not interested in the Forge-based installation, skip to the next section of the article.
- Once you have the new location selected. Click on the “Extract” button instead of the “Install” button to save Optifine in Minecraft Forge. Once the installation is complete, you can click “OK” to close the window.
If you want to make sure that OptiFine has been installed properly, run Minecraft and check the Video Settings. You can find them by clicking the “Options” button present on the home screen. Then, select “Video Settings“.
Here, you will see many more options than the regular Video settings page, including options for shaders, animations, details, etc. Now, coming to the best settings for your game will be highly dependent upon your system.
- Best Graphics Settings for Minecraft OptiFine
If you are not looking for the best graphics, getting good performance out of OptiFine is easy. What you need to do is press ESC while you are in-game and go to the “Video Settings” option. You can also press the “Options” button on the home screen and select “Video Settings“. Now, duplicate the settings shown below:
Best Graphics Settings for Minecraft OptiFine
Best Quality/ High FPS Settings for Minecraft OptiFine
Our work here isn’t done yet. Next, head to the Quality Settings by clicking on its name, as highlighted in the screenshot above. Please note that changing the quality settings will make your game restart a lot, but it’s a normal process, so you don’t have to panic. These quick restarts won’t impact your open worlds. As for the settings, here’s what we are going to use:
First of all, you need to turn off Mipmap levels and set their type to nearest. Next, you need to turn every single option OFF from Emissive textures to Custom GUIs. This might feel a bit extreme, but doing so will improve your FPS like nothing else – even on the lowest specs PC. You can choose distortion effects and FOV effects as per your preference. Don’t forget to click on “Done” to save the settings. All of these changes made with OptiFine for Minecraft will result in higher FPS on your PC.
Details Settings for Minecraft OptiFine
You need to be a little more thoughtful with the details settings as they can impact the overall experience of the game. These options won’t affect performance as much as the quality settings, so please feel free to practice personal preferences. What the best FPS requires are the following:
On a quick glance, the differences aren’t prominent. If you look closely, though, you will start noticing the difference. There are no details to the sky or even to the textures that are distant like the ice mountains on the left. The tree leaves are back to being opaque blocks, but the FPS did shoot up to 600+ on the Optimized version in our testing.
Before you begin the removal process, make sure to close the Minecraft launcher and the game. Then, follow these steps below to remove Optifine from Minecraft:
- In the Minecraft folder, delete the optifine.jar file from the following locations:
- .minecraft/mods/
- .minecraft/versions
- .minecraft/shaderpacks
As shown in this screenshot, there might be multiple versions of Optifine installed on your PC. You can go ahead to delete them all if you want to or just the ones you feel could be causing the error.
JNI Errors
You can face this error as soon as you try opening the OptiFine.jar installation file or while opening Minecraft, or even while adjusting the in-game OptiFine settings. The solution to all these JNI errors is exactly the same. You need to manually update the Java on your PC by downloading it from this link.
If you feel that your game is lagging or that the FPS is way lower than what it should be, chances are that either you are using an incompatible version of OptiFine or your settings aren’t optimized. We have covered how to find the OptiFine or your game version and how to optimize the game for the best FPS in this guide. You can head back to those sections to get the situation fixed.
Yes, Optifine is a free-to-use plugin for Minecraft, and you can download it from their official website. If you enjoy the improvements it brings to your game, there’s also an option to donate to the creators on the same website.
As long as you are using OptiFine that is downloaded from their official website and not beyond your GPU’s capabilities, it is safe and mostly bug-free.
Is OptiFine Legal in Minecraft Speedruns?
As it’s only a game graphics and performance enhancer, it’s fair and legal to use it in speedruns. It doesn’t give you any more additional benefits than a new GPU.
Surprisingly, even with the diverse options that it provides, it’s smaller than most Minecraft mods. It’s only a 6-8 MB download, which won’t take more than 20 MBs even after multiple installations.
Sadly, like most Minecraft mods, Optifine works only with Minecraft Java edition. There are a few clones of Optifine with the same name for Bedrock, but none of them are even remotely comparable. You should stick to the official Optifine and the Java edition if you want the best experience of this mod.
