Distant Horizons

Distant Horizons

Massively increase render distance without harming performance.

by
32.4M Downloads
fabricforgeneoforgeoptimizationutility
Rent Server with this Mod

Screenshots

Iris Shader Support (Distant Mountains)
1024 render distance
Iris Shader Support (Ocean Overlook)
Custom map/structure support
Screenshot Contest Shader Winner
Variable Detail

About this Mod

Distant Horizons

Distant Horizons allows you to achieve extreme (256+) chunk render distances at a low performance cost.

Now you can finally enjoy that mountain top lookout tower.


Mountain top villager

This photo was taken with a Minecraft render distance of 8 and a mod distance of 512.


FAQ:

Q: Forge or Fabric?

A: MC 1.20.6 and newer - NeoForge and Fabric are both in the same jar.

MC 1.20.4 and older - Forge and Fabric are both in the same jar.


Q: Shaders?

A: Yes, but only with certain shaders.

  • Optifine: DH partially works with forward rendered shaders.
  • Iris (and equivalent ports): DH 2.1.0+ only works with Iris 1.7+ and only with shaders built with DH support in mind.
    • DH 2.0 and older don't work with Iris.

Q: Does this work with player created structures?

A: Yes.


Q: Does this render using my GPU?

A: Yes.

Distant Horizons uses OpenGL or Vulkan for graphics rendering.


Q: Is there multiplayer support?

A: Yes

client side only:

If you only have DH installed on your client LODs will be saved between sessions, although you have to explore the world to load them.

Server and Client:

If DH is installed on the server and client, LODs will automatically be sent to each connected user that has DH installed and has Distant Generation Enabled set to true, disabling distant generation on the server will prevent LODs from being sent to the users.


Q: My game is stuttering, help!

A: Try each of the following steps:

  1. Use a concurrent garbage collector like ZGC for Java 21+ or Shenandoah for Java 8-17
    • This can be done via your JVM arguments (args)
  2. Increase Minecraft's allocated RAM
    • For CPUs with 4-8 cores: try allocating 6-8 GB
    • For CPUs with 10+ cores: try allocating 12-16 GB
  3. Lower DH's CPU load in the DH config menu
  4. Disabling DH's "Distant Generation" in the DH config menu
  5. Lower DH's "Graphics Preset" in the DH config menu

Q: Where can I download the Bukkit plugin?

A: The bukkit plugin has its own separate download page:

https://modrinth.com/plugin/distant-horizons-support


Extended FAQ:





Discord:

Join our Discord for news, updates, and help:

discord.com/invite/xAB8G4cENx

Support us:

If you want to help with development, join our discord and let us know!

Otherwise, if you can't help with development but still want to support Distant Horizons, check out our donation page:

ko-fi.com/distanthorizons

Available Versions

3.2.0-b - 26.2 neo/fabricbeta
MC 26.2fabric, neoforge
July 7, 2026
3.2.0-b - 26.1.2 neo/fabricbeta
MC 26.1, 26.1.1, 26.1.2fabric, neoforge
July 7, 2026
3.2.0-b - 1.21.11 neo/fabricbeta
MC 1.21.11fabric, neoforge
July 7, 2026
3.2.0-b - 1.21.10 neo/fabricbeta
MC 1.21.10fabric, neoforge
July 7, 2026
3.2.0-b - 1.21.9 neo/fabricbeta
MC 1.21.9fabric, neoforge
July 7, 2026

How to Install Distant Horizons on Your Server

1

Order Server

Order a Minecraft Java server with at least 3 GB RAM (4 GB recommended).

2

Set fabric Loader

In the panel under "Egg", select the fabric loader and matching Minecraft version (26.2).

3

Install Mod

Open the mod browser in the dashboard and search for "Distant Horizons". Click "Install" – done! Alternatively, upload the .jar via SFTP to the /mods folder.

Compatibility

Mod Loaders

fabricforgeneoforge

Minecraft Versions

26.2, 26.1.2, 26.1.1 (+31 more)

Server-side

~ Optional

Recommended RAM

4 GB(min. 3 GB)

Frequently Asked Questions

Distant Horizons server crashes on startup – what to do?

Most common cause: wrong fabric version or insufficient RAM. Check the server log (latest.log) for "OutOfMemoryError" or "Mixin" errors. With Mado Hosting: ensure at least 3 GB RAM is allocated and the loader matches the mod version (26.2). You can switch loaders with one click in the panel.

Is Distant Horizons compatible with fabric and forge and neoforge?

Distant Horizons officially supports fabric, forge, neoforge for Minecraft 26.2, 26.1.2, 26.1.1. Note: Forge and Fabric mods are NOT cross-compatible – pick one loader and stick with it. The Mado dashboard automatically detects incompatible loader combinations.

Server lagging with Distant Horizons – how to optimize performance?

Recommended RAM: 4 GB (per 8 players). Use /spark profiler to check if Distant Horizons consumes the most tick time. Common fixes: reduce server view-distance to 8-10, install "performant" or "starlight" as supplementary mods on Forge. With Mado Hosting, your server runs on NVMe SSDs with dedicated CPU cores for minimal latency.

Rent Modded Server

Install Distant Horizons with just one click on your server.

Recommended RAM
4 GBfrom €5.2/mo
Minimum 3 GB | per 8 players
Create Server Now
1-Click Mod Install
NVMe SSD Storage
DDoS Protection included

Details

License
GNU Lesser General Public License v3.0 only
Server-side
Optional

Supported Versions

26.226.1.226.1.126.11.21.111.21.101.21.91.21.81.21.71.21.6+24 more