Looking for the best Minecraft texture packs for the Java Edition? Minecraft’s low-fi charms were predictably the first thing modders took to ‘fixing’. The ruddy textures, while distinctive, are an obvious target for an upgrade if you stare at them long enough. While Mojang has been gradually revamping the aesthetic appeal of Minecraft, particularly with the introduction of Minecraft Ray Tracing, if you’re chasing a specific look then texture packs are your best bet.
Here, we’ve included our favourite Minecraft texture packs. There’s nothing too crazy in here, as massive visual overhauls tend to be part of larger Minecraft mods that fundamentally change the game, and that’s another article entirely.
What we have here is a fantastic selection of texture packs that give Minecraft altered visual styles, from the ultra-realistic to the cartoonish, to far out sci-fi and subtle makeovers. There’s even animated textures if you want a drastically different look. Not sure how to download and install one of these new texture packs? Don’t worry, we can help you with that, too. Click through to be delighted by the variety and vibrancy of Minecraft texture packs.
How to install Minecraft texture packs
In the many years since Minecraft first launched, it’s become a lot easier to install Minecraft texture packs and get them running with minimal fuss.
Here’s how to download and install texture packs for Minecraft:
- Download the texture pack you want
- Launch the Minecraft Launcher
- Make sure you choose the latest stable version of Minecraft (and not one of the Minecraft beta versions).
- Click to play Minecraft
- Select ‘Options’ from the main menu
- Then navigate to the ‘Resource Packs’ section
- Now click ‘Open Resource Packs’
- Put your newly downloaded texture packs into the folder. It will work in a zip file or unzipped.
- Select them in-game by dragging them to the column on the right
- Rearrange your addon packs to load in the correct order
Note that not all texture packs will work in the latest Minecraft Java Edition build, so check what the latest supported version is on the download page. If you want to use some of the best packs then you’ll need to revert your version of Minecraft to a previous version which you can do easily through the launcher. We tend to keep a couple of older Minecraft versions installed for heavily modded playthroughs.
Another thing to note is that this list of the best Minecraft texture packs is directed at the Java Edition of Minecraft, so if you’re using the newer Bedrock Edition you’re likely to run into some issues as they’re very different versions of the game.
Also, several of these texture packs require Optifine to work, so we recommend you grab the latest version before testing out the shiny new packs below.
The best Minecraft texture packs
Okay, now that’s out of the way. Let’s start with something big and bright. We’re going to change the world, or your world, at least.
The best Minecraft resource packs are:
without quadral
with quadral
Quadral
Quadral is a bright, vibrant texture pack that doesn’t stray too far from the default Minecraft aesthetic, with simple, charming textures that give your world a visual refresh. It’s a little more soft and gentle looking than vanilla textures, and it’s 16×16 resolution like native Minecraft, so it’s a great replacement for your next survival mode adventure. It also has an add-on pack for the ‘Biomes O’Plenty’ Minecraft mod, so you can explore modded biomes in the same Quadral style.
without faithful
with faithful
Faithful
You’d be forgiven for thinking there’s absolutely no difference between these screenshots – but look closely, and you’ll see there’s a little more detail in every cube. This is because Faithful is a 32×32 version of the default Minecraft texture pack, so it has double the resolution – and you’ll notice the bricks look rounder, the trees are fuller, and the grass is tuftier. Even the single egg which we are inexplicably holding looks… eggier.
without Anemoia
with anemoia
Anemoia
Installing Anemoia is like stepping into a psychedelic, dream world. Anemoia’s vivid textures are bold and cartoony, yet soothing – with cool tones of blue, purple, and green everywhere, as if your whole map is underwater. This pack certainly embraces the surreal, with dyeable dogs, and friendly-looking alien villagers.
Without good vibes
with good vibes
Good Vibes
As you might imagine, Good Vibes transforms your Minecraft world into a cutesy wonderland, with a bright, cheerful colour palette and some adorable critter reskins. It’s a gentle, feel-good pack with smooth textures – perfect for building your next cosy abode and kicking your feet up beside the fireplace – see our Minecraft houses guide for inspiration.
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with mizunos 16 craft
Mizunos 16 Craft
Looking for that cosy, cottagecore vibe? Look no further than Mizunos 16 Craft – its dark, rustic textures are perfect for your next medieval Minecraft castle build, or creating a homely, rural paradise. Mizunos 16 Craft even turns villagers into animals – like the cute bears above.
More Minecraft guides:
Games like Minecraft
Best Minecraft maps
Best Minecraft seeds
If you’re looking for extra furniture and decorations, the Ghoulcraft resource pack is designed to match Mizuno’s 16 Craft perfectly – there’s a reason this is one of the most popular aesthetic Minecraft texture packs.
without annahstas beastrinia
with annahstas beastrinia
Annahstas Beastrinia
Annahstas Beastrinia is a Minecraft resource pack designed to reproduce the Minecraft Pokémon/Pixelmon aesthetic. Its textures are extra detailed, thanks to its 32x resolution – and its colour palette is soft, focusing on low saturated colours. There are even Pokéballs in every bookcase.
without jicklus
with jicklus
Jicklus
Jicklus’ pack isn’t too different from Minecraft’s default look – it makes everything look a little warmer, like a wash of rustic sepia – there’s an elegant hotbar, too, and various mob reskins. Just look at the adorable Highland cow above. How could you not warm up to that woolly face? It’s perfect for a fantasy or RPG-style map, or simply building a relaxing Minecraft farm with slightly different lifestock.
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with sapixcraft
Sapixcraft
Sapixcraft is a bright, eye-catching Minecraft resource pack in a range of resolutions – we’ve gone for 32x, but resolutions all the way up to 512x are available via their website. The pack is clean and incredibly vibrant, making it easy to distinguish between blocks. There’s even a Christmas addon for the festive season.
without jolicraft
with jolicraft
Jolicraft
Jolicraft has been a fan-favourite Minecraft texture pack for years, and it’s easy to see why – the ‘whimsical texture pack’ has buckets of charm. A lot of Minecraft texture packs have a theme that they try to nail, but Joli’s is about personal expression. It’s a sort of twee fantasy world that best reflects his own happy demeanour: the swirling sun is definitely a sight more cheerful than the default, squat square. Jolicraft feels like walking along a beach on a warm summer’s day.
without bloom, bright and retro
with bloom, bright and retro
Bloom, Bright and Retro
Throw a splash of bright paint over your Minecraft worlds – Bloom, Bright and Retro is an eye-catching resource pack that turns your textures up to 11, in a high-contrast, old-school Nintendo style. There’s also an add-on that will let you wield The Master Sword from Zelda, so you can go and save the realm like the hero you were born to be.
without retrones
with retrones
RetroNES
We’re going even further back in time with this Minecraft texture pack – RetroNES is one of the coolest resource packs around, with a lovingly crafted old-school colour palette and chunky black outlines. The original artist stopped working on it a while ago, but thankfully, it’s been recently revived and updated for 1.16 – though if you want the retro sound pack to go with it, you’ll have to stick to version 1.8.
without epic adventures
with epic adventures
Epic Adventures
If you’re looking for something a little more realistic, but still retaining the quintessential Minecraft vibe, Epic Adventures is right up your cobblestone alley. Its 32x resolution means it has double the detail – that’s some mighty fine looking bark, we must say. Not to mention the gloriously detailed moon. The real star of the show, though, is that extra fluffy tree.
And there you go, the best Minecraft texture packs. Whether you’re looking for a pack to turn your Minecraft world into a cartoon, or one to make it look more like the real world, you should find what you’re looking for here. Of course, to complete the overhaul we recommend you kit yourself out with a shiny new skin – see our guide to the best Minecraft skins. Not sure what to build next? Read our Minecraft ideas guide to get some inspiration, and if you’re wondering what’s coming to the base game soon, check out our Minecraft 1.18 update release date guide.
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