Complementary has been the default recommendation for "what shaders should I install" for several years, and in 26.2 it is still the correct answer for most players. It is the most-downloaded shader pack on Modrinth with over 20 million downloads across both variants.

This is a complete review: what Complementary does, how Reimagined and Unbound differ, where it struggles, and who it is and isn't for.

Complementary Unbound vs Reimagined: which should you pick?

If you only want the verdict: pick Reimagined for the best visuals on mid-to-high hardware, pick Unbound for higher, steadier FPS. They are the same lighting engine; Reimagined adds heavier artistic effects (custom sky, fog, clouds, per-biome looks), and Unbound strips those back for speed. At equal settings Unbound runs roughly 20-40% faster than Reimagined on the same PC.

Complementary Reimagined Complementary Unbound
Priority Best visuals Best performance
Extra effects Custom sky, fog, clouds, per-biome, PBR Stripped back to core lighting/water
Relative FPS Baseline ~20-40% faster at equal settings
GTX 1660 (High) 55-80 FPS 80-110 FPS
RTX 4070 (High) 150-200 FPS 220-280 FPS
Best for High-end PCs, screenshots, content Mid-range PCs, servers, high refresh

Still unsure? Start with Reimagined; if your FPS drops below your target, drop its shadow resolution first, and if that is not enough, switch to Unbound. The full breakdown of each, with install steps and tuned settings, is below.

What Complementary is

Complementary is a GLSL shader pack for Minecraft Java Edition, originally derived from BSL Shaders (with permission) and progressively rebuilt by EminGT. It runs on both Iris (Fabric) and OptiFine (though Iris is strongly recommended in 2026 for performance and compatibility reasons).

The philosophy is explicitly "vanilla-adjacent fidelity": Complementary is not trying to be a photorealism mod or a full visual overhaul. It is trying to make vanilla Minecraft look like a much better version of itself, with correct lighting, soft shadows, water reflections, and dynamic clouds, without changing the artistic direction.

This positioning is why it's the right recommendation for most players. Players who want photorealism should look at BSL or Kappa PT. Players who want a different game entirely should look at Ray Tracing packs. Everyone else benefits from Complementary's balance.

Two variants: which one?

In 2023, EminGT split Complementary into two separate packs:

Complementary Reimagined

The artistic variant. Reimagined adds features beyond lighting correction: custom sky rendering, fog, cloud generation, custom nether and end effects, PBR support for resource packs, and per-biome effects. It has more visual customization options in the in-game shader menu.

Reimagined is heavier than Unbound. On a GTX 1660, expect 50-80 FPS at high settings, 80-110 at medium. On an RTX 4070, 120+ at high, 200+ at medium.

Best for: players who want the best possible visuals on mid-to-high hardware, content creators, screenshots.

Complementary Unbound

The performance variant. Unbound strips out the heavier artistic features and focuses on clean lighting, stable shadows, and water effects. The performance per visual quality ratio is better than Reimagined.

Unbound is better for:

  • Mid-range hardware (GTX 1060, RX 580 era)
  • Servers where stable framerates matter more than image quality
  • Technical players who don't need custom sky
  • Anyone who found Reimagined too resource-intensive

At equal settings, Unbound typically runs 20-40% faster than Reimagined on the same hardware.

If you're not sure which to use: start with Reimagined. If your FPS drops below your target (60 for most; 144 for high refresh displays), switch to Unbound or reduce Reimagined's shadow resolution first.

Installation: Iris only

In 2026, install Complementary through Iris, not OptiFine.

  1. Install Iris (requires Sodium; new to Fabric mods? Follow the installation guide first)
  2. Download Complementary Reimagined or Unbound from modrinth.com (do not use unofficial mirrors)
  3. In Minecraft: Options → Video Settings → Shader Packs → Open Shader Pack Folder
  4. Drop the .zip file into the folder
  5. Select it in the list and click Apply

No profile restart needed. Iris loads shaders live.

Complementary supports 26.2 on Iris 1.8.x. If you see errors about unsupported GL features, update your GPU drivers; shader packs require OpenGL 4.0+ features.

Performance benchmarks (26.2)

These are directional numbers from community testing and the Modrinth discussion page. Test on your own hardware for authoritative results.

Hardware Vanilla (no shaders) Complementary Unbound (High) Complementary Reimagined (High)
GTX 1060 / Ryzen 5 2600 120-180 FPS 50-70 FPS 35-50 FPS
GTX 1660 / i5-10400 180-250 FPS 80-110 FPS 55-80 FPS
RTX 3070 / Ryzen 7 5800X 300+ FPS 150-200 FPS 100-140 FPS
RTX 4070 / i7-13700K 400+ FPS 220-280 FPS 150-200 FPS

Shadow resolution is the biggest single performance lever. Dropping from 4096 to 2048 shadow res typically recovers 30-50% FPS with minimal visible quality loss unless you're doing close-up screenshots. If those baseline numbers look low for your hardware, fix your foundation first: the Fabric performance mod stack is what those vanilla columns assume.

What it does well

Lighting. The most consistently praised feature. The way light falls through leaves, the soft transition from day into evening, the warm glow from torches and lanterns; all noticeably better than vanilla at a performance cost that's acceptable on modern hardware.

Water. Water reflections and underwater caustics are among the best in the mid-weight shader category. Complementary's water shader handles the transition between shallow and deep visually well.

Compatibility. Complementary works with virtually every major mod, including Create (the machine animations look excellent), Biomes O' Plenty, Oh The Biomes You'll Go, and most shader-compatible resource packs. The PBR support in Reimagined works with PBR texture packs like Faithful PBR.

Custom configuration. The in-game shader menu (accessible from Video Settings → Shader Packs → Shader Options) has more knobs than almost any other shader pack. You can tune shadow distance, disable specific effects, adjust the color grading, and change the sky style independently. This is genuinely useful for performance tuning.

What it doesn't do well

Nether. The nether visuals in Complementary are decent but not the pack's strength. The lava ocean shimmer is flat compared to some alternatives. Players who spend heavy time in the nether might prefer Sildur's Vibrant or BSL for that dimension.

Hardcore minimalism. If you want zero performance overhead from shaders, just better lighting and nothing else, Complementary is still somewhat heavy. In that case, the low-end shader roundup covers lighter packs that hold 60 FPS on integrated graphics.

Ray tracing. Complementary does not do path-traced global illumination. It uses rasterization-based shadow maps and reflection probes. If you specifically want GI, you're looking at packs like Kappa PT or Seus PTGI on capable hardware.

Settings recommendations

For a mid-range PC (GTX 1660 tier):

  • Shadow resolution: 2048 (default is 4096; this alone recovers 30%+ FPS)
  • Shadow distance: 160 blocks (not max)
  • Bloom: Off (aesthetic only, not free)
  • Ambient Occlusion: On (low cost, high visual impact)
  • Water effects: On
  • Cloud style: Fast (vs Fancy)

For a high-end PC (RTX 3070+), run defaults and tune shadow res up to 4096 or 8192 if your FPS budget allows.

Compared to alternatives

Shader Weight Style Best for
Complementary Unbound Light-medium Vanilla-faithful Mid-range daily play
Complementary Reimagined Medium Vanilla-faithful, artistic High-end or screenshots
BSL Shaders Medium Warm, saturated Players who want vivid colors
Sildur's Vibrant Light Minimal overhead Low-end hardware
Kappa PT Heavy Path-traced realism RTX 3080+ enthusiasts
Seus PTGI Very heavy Path-traced RTX 3090+ only

The short version: if BSL looks too orange/yellow to you, use Complementary. If Complementary's water looks too stylized, use BSL. Both are correct answers depending on taste.

Verdict

Complementary Reimagined and Unbound are the easiest recommendations in the shader space because they hit the widest target: good visuals, acceptable performance, strong compatibility, and active maintenance on 26.2.

Use Reimagined if your hardware is up to it and you care about how screenshots look. Use Unbound if you prioritize framerate or have mid-range hardware. Either way, install through Iris, start with shadow resolution at 2048, and tune from there.

Frequently asked questions

Is Complementary Reimagined or Unbound better?

Neither is strictly better: they share the same lighting engine and target different priorities. Reimagined has the richer visuals (custom sky, fog, clouds, per-biome effects, PBR), Unbound trims those back for roughly 20-40% higher FPS at the same settings. Pick Reimagined for looks on mid-to-high hardware, Unbound for a steadier framerate.

Is Complementary Unbound faster than Reimagined?

Yes. At identical settings Unbound runs about 20-40% faster because it drops Reimagined's heavier artistic effects. On a GTX 1660 at high settings that is roughly 80-110 FPS on Unbound versus 55-80 FPS on Reimagined.

Which Complementary shader should I use in Minecraft 26.2?

Start with Reimagined. If your FPS falls below your target, lower its shadow resolution first; if that is not enough, switch to Unbound. Both variants are actively maintained and fully working on 26.2 through Iris.

Can I switch between Complementary Reimagined and Unbound?

Yes. They are separate packs but use the same settings concepts, so you can install both and swap them in the Iris shader menu without reinstalling anything. Each pack keeps its own settings.

Is Complementary Unbound good for low-end PCs?

Unbound is the better of the two for low-end and mid-range machines. On very weak hardware, run Unbound at medium with shadow resolution at 1024, or step down to a lighter pack like Sildur's Vibrant for a more stable framerate.

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