Sodium replaces Minecraft's rendering engine to improve frame rates and reduce micro-stutter, according to its listing.
DistantHorizons
Increase Minecraft render distance by simplifying distant terrain with the Distant Horizons mod.
About DistantHorizons
Distant Horizons is a Minecraft: Java Edition mod that simplifies distant terrain to allow render distances over 256 chunks. It renders player-created structures at distance and uses OpenGL or Vulkan for distant graphics.
It supports Fabric, Forge, and NeoForge depending on the Minecraft version, and can run client-only or on both server and client. Shader support is limited to certain OptiFine and Iris setups.
Key features
- Allows 256+ chunk render distances with simplified distant terrain
- Renders player-created structures at distance
- Uses OpenGL or Vulkan for graphics rendering
- Supports client-only and server-assisted multiplayer LOD sharing
- Works with Fabric, Forge, and NeoForge depending on version
- Compatible with selected OptiFine and Iris shaders with limits
Best for: Minecraft: Java Edition players who want longer view distances on supported mod loaders.
Good for
- Supports Minecraft versions from 1.12.2 through recent 1.21 and 26.x releases
- Can run client-only or with server support to share distant data
- Renders player-created structures at distance
Watch out for
- Works only with certain shaders, with version-specific Iris requirements
- Client-only multiplayer requires exploring to load distant areas
- May stutter and require changes to memory, CPU load, or graphics preset
DistantHorizons at a glance
- Category
- Gaming › Mods & Fan Projects
- Type
- Website
- Pricing
- Not confirmed. Check the site
- Platforms
- Web
- Open source
- Not stated
- Language
- English
- Last checked
- Oct 5, 2026 · Online when checked
- Listed
- Oct 5, 2026
DistantHorizons alternatives
Tools and sites you could use instead, ranked by how closely they match.
Extend Minecraft’s visible distance by rendering simplified chunks with the Distant Horizons level-of-detail mod.
Improve Minecraft client performance with Embeddium, a mod for NeoForge.
Create Bukkit plugins through a drag-and-drop interface in Visual Bukkit.
Sodium replaces Minecraft’s renderer with an optimization mod designed to improve performance.
UsefulMods collects game modification recommendations, and its page notes that the former list maintainer stopped updating it.
Open sourcePick
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DistantHorizons FAQ
Does it work with Forge or Fabric?
For Minecraft 1.20.6 and newer, NeoForge and Fabric are in the same jar. For 1.20.4 and older, Forge and Fabric are in the same jar.
Does it work with shaders?
Only with certain shaders. It partially works with forward-rendered OptiFine shaders. Version 2.1.0 and newer requires Iris 1.7+ and shaders built with Distant Horizons support; version 2.0 and older does not work with Iris.
Does it work in multiplayer?
Yes. With client-only installation, LODs are saved between sessions after you explore. With server and client installation, LODs are sent to users with Distant Generation enabled.
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