Distant Horizons Mod (1.21.7, 1.20.1) – Boost Minecraft Performance with LOD Rendering

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Distant Horizons Mod (1.21.7, 1.20.1) revolutionizes the way Minecraft handles render distance by introducing a Level of Detail (LOD) system that dramatically expands how far you can see without compromising performance. Traditionally, Minecraft struggles to render distant terrain due to memory and CPU limitations, causing lag or requiring aggressive chunk loading compromises. With Distant Horizons installed, the game intelligently replaces faraway chunks with low-resolution versions, allowing your world to stretch far beyond the default view range.

Whether you’re admiring vast landscapes, building mountain-top towers, or navigating open oceans, this mod allows you to experience Minecraft at a scale that feels immersive, majestic, and performance-friendly. It works seamlessly with most shaders and modpacks and supports Fabric, Forge, and NeoForge, making it a versatile choice for both players and modpack creators.

Distant Horizons Mod

Features:

  • Level of Detail (LOD) Chunks: Renders simplified terrain at extreme distances, reducing lag while maintaining world visuals.
  • Massively Extended View Range: See up to thousands of blocks away with almost no performance drop.
  • Smooth Chunk Transition: Blends distant terrain with regular chunks to preserve immersion.
  • Compatible with Shaders: Works with many popular shader packs to extend visuals even further.
  • Dynamic Loading System: Adjusts LOD loading based on player movement and direction.
  • Multiloader Support: Fully compatible with Fabric, Forge, and NeoForge mod environments.
  • Configurable Settings: Customize LOD distances, memory limits, cache behavior, and performance thresholds.

Screenshots:

Distant Horizons Mod Screenshots 1

Variable Detail: Fake chunks closer will become larger and less detailed the further they are from the player, increasing performance.

Distant Horizons Mod Screenshots 2

Distant Fog: Fog can be enabled and disabled in the config GUI.

Distant Horizons Mod Screenshots 3

256 render distance: By default the mod renders at 64, but can go up to 4096! (although anything above 512 may become difficult due to high RAM or GPU usage)

Distant Horizons Mod Screenshots 4

Cave/Nether support: Now you can see farther in caves! I mean, you still can’t see that far because you’re in a cave…

Distant Horizons Mod Screenshots 5

Custom map support: Pictured: Super Hostile Iceolation

Distant Horizons Mod Screenshots 6

Ground level horizon

Distant Horizons Mod Screenshots 7

A Distant Horizon

Distant Horizons Mod Screenshots 8

Modded Terrain Generation: Distant Horizons works with mod terrain generators!

Distant Horizons Mod Screenshots 9

Night time forest

Distant Horizons Mod Screenshots 10

Cliff side: Vanilla render distance 4. Mod render distance 512.

Distant Horizons Mod Screenshots 11

Ciff side: Vanilla render distance 4. Mod render distance 512.

Distant Horizons Mod Screenshots 12

Detail levels: The mod will render chunks at different detail levels depending on how far they are from you.

Distant Horizons Mod Screenshots 13

Vertical Fog: Fog can be customized to change with vertical height along with horizontal distance.

Distant Horizons Mod Screenshots 14

The End: Finding end cities will be much easier now…

Distant Horizons Mod Screenshots 15

Distant Horizons Mod Screenshots 16

Distant Horizons Mod Screenshots 17

Distant Horizons Mod Screenshots 18

Requires:

Minecraft Forge or Fabric API or NeoForge Installer

How to install:

How To Download & Install Mods with Minecraft Forge

How To Download & Install Fabric Mods

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Why use Distant Horizons Mod?

Minecraft worlds are massive but players have never truly seen them from a distance until now. Distant Horizons unlocks the game’s full visual potential by letting you render terrain far beyond the standard range, which is especially powerful for exploration, flying, server builds, cinematic videos, or simply admiring your creations from a distance.

This mod offers not only technical advantages but also a richer gameplay experience. Builders can plan large-scale projects with better perspective, server players can spot distant landmarks, and survivalists gain a better sense of direction across large biomes. And best of all, it does all this without hammering your frame rate making it one of the most performance-efficient render mods available.

If you’ve ever dreamed of truly seeing everything your Minecraft world has to offer, from mountaintop to ocean floor, this mod is your new essential companion.

FAQs

Does Distant Horizons affect game performance?

It actually improves performance by offloading distant chunks as lower-resolution models. You’ll experience smoother gameplay even with a much farther view distance.

Can I use this mod with shaders?

Yes, Distant Horizons supports many shader packs. Some visual quirks may appear depending on your settings, but most major shaders are compatible.

Is Distant Horizons compatible with multiplayer?

Yes, it works in multiplayer environments. However, keep in mind that it only affects client-side rendering, so it won’t load new chunks beyond the server’s configured view distance.

How is this different from increasing Minecraft’s render distance?

Increasing Minecraft’s native render distance loads full-resolution chunks, which is very resource-heavy. Distant Horizons uses simplified LOD terrain for distant areas, improving performance drastically.

Does this mod require a powerful computer?

Not necessarily. The mod is optimized to run on mid-range systems, and you can customize settings to match your hardware.

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