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VulkanMod
What it is
VulkanMod is a free Minecraft client mod that replaces the default OpenGL renderer with a Vulkan-based rendering engine. Its rendering optimizations cover terrain, chunk building, and entities, and the project lists reduced CPU and GPU overhead. It also offers native Wayland support on Linux and windowed fullscreen mode. VulkanMod uses Fabric: install Fabric, then put VulkanMod.jar in the .minecraft/mods folder. A GPU with Vulkan 1.2 support is required. The project lists Minecraft versions 1.21.3, 1.21.4, 1.21.5, 1.21.10, and 1.21.11. Shader support is not yet available, and there is no estimated release date; the README points users to Beryl for shaders. Mods that make OpenGL calls are unsupported, with Sodium, Iris Shaders, Create, and Distant Horizons among the listed incompatibilities. Release 0.6.0 notes a terrain-rendering improvement when backface culling is enabled, an update checker, and fixes for alpha cutout sampling and a memory leak.
For and against
For
- Free to use.
- Optimizes terrain, chunk building, and entity rendering.
- Supports native Wayland on Linux.
- Offers windowed fullscreen mode.
Against
- Requires Fabric and a Vulkan 1.2-capable GPU.
- Shader support is not yet available.
- OpenGL-calling mods are unsupported.
- Sodium, Iris Shaders, Create, and Distant Horizons are listed as incompatible.
The verdict
VulkanMod offers a free Vulkan rendering option for Fabric-based Minecraft setups, with optimizations across several rendering areas. Check the GPU requirement and mod incompatibilities first, and note that shader support is unavailable.
Who it suits
It suits Minecraft players seeking a Vulkan renderer and rendering performance improvements who use Fabric and have a Vulkan 1.2-capable GPU. It is not suited to players who need shader support or rely on listed incompatible mods.
Plans and prices
VulkanMod
Minecraft client mod · requires Fabric · Vulkan-capable GPU
Read 15 Oct 2026 · modrinth.com
On the record
- Build system
- The source repository includes Gradle build files and both Unix and Windows Gradle wrapper scripts.github.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Chunk building
- Chunk-building performance is listed as an optimization target.github.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Client scope
- Modrinth classifies VulkanMod as client-side software.modrinth.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Community channel
- The project links a Discord server for assistance and discussion.modrinth.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Compatibility limit
- The incompatible mods wiki says mods that use OpenGL calls are unsupported and guaranteed to be broken.github.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Compatibility warning
- Mods that make direct OpenGL calls can crash when VulkanMod is loaded, and compatibility is explicitly not guaranteed.modrinth.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Configuration documentation
- Hysen Labs found no documented config-file name, settings list, menu path, command-line flag or environment variable in the README.hysenlabs.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- CPU and GPU overhead
- The project lists reduced CPU and GPU overhead as a primary feature.github.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- CurseForge adoption
- CurseForge shows 1,244,732 downloads and identifies Collateral as the owner.curseforge.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- CurseForge versions
- CurseForge lists the 1.21.11 Fabric file VulkanMod_1.21.11-0.6.1.jar as the main file, released March 4, 2026.curseforge.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Display features
- The project lists native Wayland support on Linux and windowed fullscreen mode.github.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Documentation depth
- Hysen Labs characterized the README as an overview and installation sketch, with the wiki serving as the project’s practical documentation.hysenlabs.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Entity rendering
- Entity rendering is listed as an optimization target.github.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Hardware requirement
- The documented minimum is a GPU exposing Vulkan 1.2 or newer.github.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Incompatible mods
- The maintained incompatibility list includes Iris Shaders, Create, Distant Horizons, Embeddium and many other mods for specified versions.github.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Install
- The README instructs users to install Fabric and place the VulkanMod.jar file in .minecraft/mods.github.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Installation
- Installation consists of installing Fabric and placing VulkanMod.jar in the instance’s mods directory.github.com · read 15 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- The project is for Minecraft players seeking a Vulkan renderer and performance improvements, and installation uses Fabric.github.com · read 29 Sep 2026