Minecraft Java on Steam Deck: shaders at 60 FPS on an original LCD model

This Steam Deck guide covers a setup that caught a lot of attention this week: Minecraft Java Edition with shaders, running at 60 FPS on an original LCD Steam Deck. u/fuzzyboris shared it on r/SteamDeck, saying they didn’t expect to be able to play Java Minecraft with shaders at 60 FPS on the handheld with no hassle at all.

Their setup is simple: Prism Launcher to install the Fabulously Optimized modpack, with Complementary Shaders Reimagined on top. This is a community showcase, not a benchmark, so your own results will depend on your world, your settings and where you are in it. Here’s how to put the same Minecraft Java shaders setup together yourself.

What you need first

• A Minecraft: Java Edition account. Prism Launcher needs you to sign in with a Microsoft account that owns Minecraft before it will launch the full game. If no account is signed in when you launch, Prism offers to open its account manager so you can add one, and an account that doesn’t own the game only gets the demo.
• Desktop Mode for the install. Hold the power button and select Switch to Desktop. You’ll come back to Gaming Mode once everything is set up.
• A bit of free space and an internet connection for Prism, the modpack and the shader pack downloads.

Minecraft Java isn’t on Steam, so there’s no store page to install from. Everything here comes from the official Prism Launcher, Fabulously Optimized and Complementary sources.

Step 1: Install Prism Launcher

Prism Launcher is a free, open-source Minecraft launcher, and Flathub is its main way of shipping on Linux. On the Deck, that means it’s in the Discover app store that comes with SteamOS:

1. In Desktop Mode, open Discover from the taskbar.
2. Search for Prism Launcher and select Install.
3. Launch it once, go through its first-time setup, then close it.
4. Close Prism, open Steam, then choose Games, then Add a Non-Steam Game to My Library. Pick Prism Launcher and select Add Selected Programs.

If you prefer a terminal, Prism’s own page lists the Flathub command too: flatpak install flathub org.prismlauncher.PrismLauncher.

Step 2: Add the Fabulously Optimized modpack

Fabulously Optimized is a Fabric modpack built around performance and graphics, with mods like Sodium and Lithium, and it doesn’t add new content, so it works with any world or server. Importantly for this setup, it already includes Iris for shader support and Controlify for controller support. Fabulously Optimized’s own wiki has Steam Deck steps for Prism, and they go like this:

1. Return to Gaming Mode and launch Prism Launcher from your library.
2. Select Add Instance, choose the Modrinth tab on the left, and pick Fabulously Optimized. You can choose a specific version from the dropdown before you select OK.
3. Let the modpack install, then double-tap its icon to launch it and wait for Minecraft to load.
4. In Minecraft, go to Options, then Controls, then Controller Settings, select your controller, then select Done until you’re back out.

After that, you can launch it straight from your library. Fabulously Optimized points Deck-specific problems to r/SteamDeck, because its own moderators may not be able to help with Deck issues.

Step 3: Add Complementary Shaders Reimagined

Complementary Shaders is a shader pack for Minecraft Java Edition that comes in two styles. Reimagined is the one used here, and it aims to keep Minecraft’s own look while reworking it. Unbound is the more realistic option. The only difference between them is their default settings, so you can change everything later.

Because Iris is already in the modpack, installing it takes a few steps in game:

1. Download Complementary Reimagined from its Modrinth page.
2. In Minecraft, open Options, then Video Settings, then Shader Packs.
3. Drag the ZIP file into the shader pack screen. You may find this easier in Desktop Mode with a mouse or the touchscreen.
4. Select the shader, make sure Shaders is enabled, and select Apply.

Complementary includes profiles from Potato to Ultra in its Shader Pack Settings. u/fuzzyboris didn’t share which profile, render distance or other settings they used in the thread, so I can’t give you their exact numbers. If you’re below 60 FPS, the profile is the obvious first thing to lower.

One thing to know: Fabulously Optimized’s wiki says Iris shaders don’t work if you switch Minecraft to its new Vulkan rendering engine, because they’re built for the older OpenGL format. Leave that alone if you want this setup to work.

Controller notes

Java Edition has no built-in controller support, which is why Controlify being in the modpack matters. u/fuzzyboris said they hadn’t had any issues with it. Not everyone in the thread had the same luck, though. One player said Controlify just wouldn’t work for them, and others prefer different controller mods or map keyboard keys through Steam Input, especially in bigger modpacks where mods add extra keybinds. Steam Input is worth a look if you add more mods on top.

Community tips from the r/SteamDeck thread

A few useful tips came up in the replies, all from players rather than official sources:

• If it runs slowly in Gaming Mode but fine in Desktop Mode, one commenter suggested turning on Start Minecraft maximized in your Prism instance’s settings, saying it performs better despite the warning.
• Distant Horizons works with the setup, according to a Steam Deck OLED owner using the same mods, but it brings the frame rate down a bit.
• Results vary. One player with the same Prism setup said shaders left them at an unstable 40 FPS, and another said performance tanks in the Nether.

Frame rates also depend on your Deck’s frame limit and power settings. If you want to see how other games run by default, Valve’s new Steam Deck framerate data is useful, and Decky TDP Tuner can help if battery life matters more to you than shaders.

Is this Steam Deck guide worth trying?

I think so. Java Minecraft with shaders used to be something you’d only try on a decent PC, and the fact that an original LCD Deck can be shown running it smoothly is a great reminder of how far community optimisation has come. It isn’t a benchmark, so don’t expect a locked 60 everywhere, but Prism, Fabulously Optimized and Complementary Reimagined is an easy, well-supported place to start. If you’re more into the spin-offs, Minecraft Dungeons 2 plays great on Steam Deck too.