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Resources / Shaders / Smoother Glowing

Smoother Glowing

Replace vanilla glowing shader with optimized and prettier one imo

ShadersFree1.12 – 26.x
by MelonRind · listed from Modrinth
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Direct download from Modrinth · 54,482 downloads

Smoother Glowing screenshot 1Smoother Glowing screenshot 2Smoother Glowing screenshot 3

What it does

Smoother Glowing is a shader pack made by MelonRind. Replace vanilla glowing shader with optimized and prettier one imo.

It supports Minecraft 1.12 – 26.x. It has been downloaded 54,482 times on Modrinth. The last update came out on Oct 11, 2026.

Supported versions

26.x1.211.201.191.181.171.161.131.12

Release history

Smoother Glowing has had 9 releases on Modrinth since Jul 5, 2023. 2 of them came out in the past year. The newest is 1.5.1, released on Oct 11, 2026. It is made for Minecraft 1.17 – 26.3. It runs on Vanilla. The download is 18 KB.

VersionReleasedMinecraftType
1.5.1Oct 11, 20261.17 – 26.3Release
1.5.0Sep 19, 20261.17 – 26.3Release
1.4.0Oct 18, 20251.17 – 26.2Release
1.3.0Jun 19, 20251.21.6Release
1.2.0Mar 30, 20251.10 – 1.20.3Release
Description from the author on Modrinth

I've rewritten the glowing post shader to remove the black outline and stop it from covering the entity, it looks better imo.
Also, it's faster than vanilla so you'll lose less fps while there's glowing entity in view.

Feel free to use it anywhere!

Mc Version

It works on Minecraft 1.9 and all the way up. But if you're on below Minecraft 1.14, you'll need a game restart after applying this pack.
(Technically it works on all version because there's no glowing effect before 1.9)

Recently (2025/10/19) found out that it doesn't work below Minecraft 1.17 on macOs, and I didn't bother to debug it. My windows pc broke so I can't test if it still works on windows. I'd like to assume it does..

Installing

It should be installed like resource pack.
Why is it in Shaders category? Because this pack only modifies post shader and there's Vanilla filter in Shaders category. So I thought it's technically a resource pack but logically a shader pack.

Here's the answer from Modrinth mod if you're confused too

1.20.5+

Minecraft itself has optimized the shader with similar strategy on 1.20.5+, so this pack's optimization won't be as obvious as before. But I still prefer this pack's visual because:

  • They didn't divide the color sum by alpha sum, causing the outline to look black instead of transparent.
  • They didn't prevent the outline from covering the actual entity, causing the entity to look weird.

After some testing, this pack still optimizes from 54fps to 60fps on 1.21! (at least on my client)

Modifying

The radius and final alpha can be changed by editing the entityglow.fsh files. (changing radius affects performance!) If you have a hard time modifying it, try out Shader Reload Mod or join my Discord!

Written by MelonRind. Read it with pictures on Modrinth.

How to install Smoother Glowing

  1. Install Iris (with Sodium) or OptiFine for your Minecraft version: shaders need one of them.

  2. Download the .zip file from Modrinth. Do not unzip it.

  3. In Minecraft, open Options, then Video Settings, then Shader Packs, and click Open Shader Pack Folder.

  4. Drop the .zip file into that folder, pick Smoother Glowing in the list and click Done.

  5. Shaders are heavy on the graphics card. If the game gets slow, pick a lower profile in the shader settings.

Full guide: How to install Minecraft shaders

Compatibility

Minecraft versions
26.x, 1.21, 1.20, 1.19, 1.18, 1.17, 1.16, 1.13, 1.12
Edition
Java
Needs
Nothing else
License
MIT
Price
Free
Upkeep
Actively updated (Nov 11, 2026)

Smoother Glowing compared with similar ones Compare all alternatives

ResourceDownloadsVersionsLast updatePrice
Smoother Glowingthe one you looked at54K1.12 – 26.xOct 11, 2026Free
Aurora's ShadersCrafterAurora949K1.20 – 1.21Mar 28, 2025Free
Simply Upscaledtimetravelbeard459K1.12 – 26.xSep 20, 2025Free
Stracciatella ShadersDrDesten177K1.8 – 1.21Feb 10, 2026Free

Questions

Does Smoother Glowing work on Minecraft 26.x?

Yes. Smoother Glowing supports Minecraft 26.x. All supported versions: 26.x, 1.21, 1.20, 1.19, 1.18, 1.17, 1.16, 1.13, 1.12.

Is Smoother Glowing free?

Yes. Smoother Glowing is free to download from Modrinth.

Is Smoother Glowing still updated?

Yes. The last update came out in the past day.

What are the best alternatives to Smoother Glowing?

The closest ones are Aurora's Shaders, Simply Upscaled and Stracciatella Shaders. Compare all alternatives

Alternatives to Smoother Glowing

Aurora's ShadersShaders · 1.20 – 1.21

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Simply UpscaledShaders · 1.12 – 26.x

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Tricked ShadersShaders · 1.8 – 26.x

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