# Radiance puts Vulkan and ray tracing inside a Minecraft client mod

> Radiance replaces Minecraft's OpenGL world rendering with a native Vulkan backend that supports hardware ray tracing, and it ships as a client-side mod for 64-bit Windows and Linux. The catch is the assembly of three repositories and a manual step for NVIDIA runtime libraries that the mod refuses to download for you.

**Minecraft-Radiance/Radiance** — Radiance is rebuilt of Minecraft renderer on a Vulkan C++ backend, featuring native Hardware Ray Tracing on Windows & Linux. Break free from OpenGL limits for Minecraft.

- Repository: https://github.com/Minecraft-Radiance/Radiance
- Website: https://www.minecraft-radiance.com/
- Stars: 1,146 · Forks: 70
- Language: Java
- License: GPL-3.0
- Published: 2026-10-19 · Updated: 2026-10-19 · Language: en
- Canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/minecraft-radiance-radiance

## One repository holds the Java mod, not the renderer

The first thing to understand about Radiance is that this repository is not the whole product. The README states plainly that the repository contains the Java mod, that the native renderer lives in a separate project called MCVR, and that the Advanced shader source sits in a third repository called Shaderpack-Advanced. That division matters for anyone trying to build, patch or audit the code, because the interesting part of a Vulkan renderer is C++ and none of it is in the tree you clone from this project. It also means release tags here, such as v0.1.6-alpha, describe the Java mod layer. The release notes for that version say it adds DLSS and FSR frame generation, expands Minecraft and mod loader support, and improves lighting, materials, performance and stability.

## Vulkan for the world, OpenGL left in charge of the interface

The feature list in the README names hardware ray tracing for world geometry, entities, lighting, reflections and transparency, and separately notes OpenGL UI rendering alongside Vulkan world rendering. That split is a real constraint rather than a transitional note. The game's screens, menus and overlays still go through the OpenGL path, so a player who expects a wholesale driver rewrite does not get one. What changes is the world: the geometry pipeline, the light transport, the reflections and the transparent surfaces. The project description frames the goal as breaking free from OpenGL limits, and the homepage at minecraft-radiance.com is where the visual results are shown. Alongside ray tracing, the README lists advanced lighting with atmosphere, clouds, fog, water and rain-driven surface wetness, which is a set of features that depend on the light transport being reworked rather than merely enabled.

## The DLSS story has a manual step the mod will not do for you

Version 0.1.6-alpha lists DLSS Ray Reconstruction, NRD with DLSS Super Resolution or FSR, and DLSS or FSR frame generation where supported. The wording where supported covers a lot of ground, because the implementation depends on which NVIDIA runtime libraries you have installed, and Radiance does not obtain them for you. The README states that Radiance does not bundle or automatically download NVIDIA DLSS runtime binaries, that you should get them from NVIDIA's own DLSS repository under its license terms, and that you put the release libraries in a radiance directory inside the game instance directory, which may differ from the launcher's main directory. The table names the exact files per feature, with a Windows DLL and a Linux shared object carrying a version placeholder for each of Super Resolution, Ray Reconstruction and Frame Generation. The Super Resolution entry alone looks like this:

```text
nvngx_dlss.dll
libnvidia-ngx-dlss.so.<version>
```

The DLSS directory under the instance is where those files go, and if you are not using the DLSS path the README points you at an available NRD plus FSR pipeline instead.

## Installing the mod and the Windows runtime trap that crashes startup

The install sequence in the README is short but each step is load bearing. You install the matching Minecraft version and loader, and Fabric builds also require Fabric API. You download the Radiance JAR for your Minecraft version, loader and operating system and place it in the instance's mods directory. Forge and NeoForge builds must launch directly on the high-performance GPU, which rules out running them on an integrated graphics path. On Windows you also install the Microsoft Visual C++ v14 x64 Redistributable, because the native code links against it.

The README then documents a specific startup failure that is worth reading before you hit it. Some JDK distributions bundle older MSVC runtime DLLs in their bin directory, and Windows may load those instead of the newer system libraries even after you install the current redistributable. The mismatch can crash native code at std::mutex::lock, and the README links the underlying STL issue. The fix is to rename msvcp140.dll, vcruntime140.dll and vcruntime140_1.dll by adding a .bak suffix, or move them aside, and then reinstall the redistributable so Java uses the updated system runtime.

## Version support is a table of branches, and 26.x is not there yet

The supported versions table is the most important screen for anyone deciding to install. Radiance is a client-side mod for 64-bit Windows and Linux, with macOS support stated as planned rather than shipped. Three Minecraft versions are covered: 1.20.1 with Java 17, and 1.21.1 and 1.21.4 with Java 21. For each of those, separate source branches exist per loader, named release-0.1.6 with the Minecraft version and the loader appended, covering Fabric, Forge and NeoForge. A fourth row, 26.x, is marked as a port in progress and has no branches, no Java version and no links. So the current distribution is three versions times three loaders, which is a wide matrix to keep in sync, and the newest Minecraft line is still a work in progress rather than something you can download today.

## Dedicated rendering paths for the mods that need their own renderer

Beyond the core renderer, the README lists dedicated rendering support for Distant Horizons, Flywheel and Create, and Sable. These are the cases where another mod already has its own rendering path, and Radiance adds a specific path rather than trying to work through the generic one. The same section of the feature list is where the shader story lives, since the Advanced shader source lives in its own repository, separate from both the Java mod and the native renderer. The DLSS and FSR features ride on the same pipeline. The topic list on the repository includes DLSS, FSR, XESS-SR, path tracing, ray tracing and Vulkan, which is a fair summary of the scope. A player running a large world modification set is the case this project targets most directly.

## Alpha releases, a monthly gap and a GPL licence

The repository is not archived, and the last push was on 2026-09-30, the same day as release v0.1.6-alpha. The two earlier tags are v0.1.5-alpha on 2026-04-29 and v0.1.4-alpha on 2026-03-21, so the release numbering sits below 1.0 and the gap between the two most recent tags is around five months. Every published tag carries the alpha suffix, which is a statement about expectations rather than a technical detail: expect the Minecraft versions and loaders listed in the table to change between releases, and expect shader behaviour to shift with it. The project is licensed under GPL-3.0, with the licence text stored in a file named LICENCE at the repository root, and the distribution channels are Modrinth for Windows and Linux plus CurseForge. The repository also carries a Chinese README alongside the English one, a gradlew wrapper and a build.gradle at the root.

## Conclusion

Radiance suits a player on 64-bit Windows or Linux with a supported Minecraft version and a GPU that can do ray tracing, who wants lighting and reflections that the built-in renderer does not offer. It does not suit a player on macOS, on a 26.x build with the port still in progress, or on a machine without a discrete GPU, since Forge and NeoForge builds must launch directly on the high-performance GPU. Before you install, check the version table for a branch matching your Minecraft release and loader, and read the DLSS runtime table, because the mod does not bundle or download those libraries itself.

## FAQ

### What is the Radiance Minecraft mod and what does it add?

Radiance brings Vulkan world rendering and hardware ray tracing to Minecraft, with advanced lighting, reflections, transparency and optional DLSS and FSR frame generation. The interface still renders through OpenGL.

### Which Minecraft versions and mod loaders does Radiance support?

The supported versions table covers 1.20.1 with Java 17 and 1.21.1 and 1.21.4 with Java 21, each with Fabric, Forge and NeoForge branches. Minecraft 26.x is listed as a port in progress.

### Does Radiance support macOS?

Not yet. The README says Radiance is a client-side mod for 64-bit Windows and Linux, with macOS support planned and a development machine recently acquired.

### Why do I need to install NVIDIA runtime libraries manually for DLSS?

Radiance does not bundle or automatically download the DLSS runtime binaries. The README directs you to NVIDIA's official DLSS repository, and the release libraries go into a radiance directory inside the game instance directory.

### What should I do if Radiance crashes on Windows at startup?

The README describes a case where bundled MSVC runtime DLLs in the JDK's bin directory are loaded instead of the newer system libraries, which can crash native code at std::mutex::lock. It recommends renaming msvcp140.dll, vcruntime140.dll and vcruntime140_1.dll with a .bak suffix and reinstalling the Visual C++ v14 x64 Redistributable.

### What license is Radiance released under?

The repository is licensed under GPL-3.0, with the licence text in the LICENCE file at the repository root. Builds are distributed through Modrinth for Windows and Linux and through CurseForge.

## Sources

- [License: GPL-3.0](https://github.com/Minecraft-Radiance/Radiance/blob/main/LICENSE)
- [Minecraft-Radiance/Radiance on GitHub](https://github.com/Minecraft-Radiance/Radiance)
- [Project website](https://www.minecraft-radiance.com/)
- [README](https://github.com/Minecraft-Radiance/Radiance/blob/main/README.md)
- [Releases](https://github.com/Minecraft-Radiance/Radiance/releases)

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Hysen Labs editorial analysis, written from the project's own repository and release notes. Cite the canonical page: https://hysenlabs.com/projects/minecraft-radiance-radiance