VertaLux is a Minecraft shaderpack built to enhance the game's visuals while preserving its original charm. This project is currently a solo work in progress, so expect bugs, visual artifacts, and occasional crashes. It is designed for players who want richer lighting, realistic shadows, and vivid reflections without overhauling the familiar blocky aesthetic.

Many shaderpacks either sacrifice performance or stray far from vanilla style. VertaLux addresses this by focusing on subtle but impactful improvements: softer and more dynamic lighting, atmospheric shadow gradients, and the distinctive golden-hour glow that makes sunsets and sunrises stand out. It is ideal for builders and explorers who value both beauty and originality, but who are willing to test early software.

Dynamic Lighting – Sunlight and moonlight scatter naturally through clouds and terrain, creating warmer tones at sunrise and sunset.
Atmospheric Shadows – Shadows are softer and more detailed, with realistic penumbras that change with cloud cover.
Reflective Surfaces – Water, ice, and selected blocks show clear, real-time reflections of the sky and nearby objects.
Vanilla-Friendly Palette – Colors and textures remain true to Minecraft's default style, without oversaturation or artificial bloom.
Golden Hour Emphasis – Sunsets and sunrises are particularly vivid, with deep oranges, pinks, and purples that make landscapes feel alive.

Because VertaLux is a work in progress, performance is not yet stable. A dedicated graphics card with at least 4 GB of VRAM and a modern CPU are recommended. Lower-end systems may experience stuttering or visual glitches. This pack uses OptiFine or an Iris-compatible mod loader (such as Fabric with Iris). Feedback and bug reports are welcome.

VertaLux ShaderPack: Vanilla-Friendly Realistic Shader