Minecraft has shot up in popularity since its initial release on May 17, 2009 – quickly growing to be one of the most played video games ever made. However, not much has changed in terms of the game’s overall visual makeup – which can often look a tad bit outdated and/or plain.
This has resulted in the release of multiple mods (particularly, texture packs) which attempt to give the game a very different look from its vanilla version. The results can be varied, but are definitely worth trying out to spice up your gaming experience.
A list of the recommended Minecraft texture packs will be detailed in the section below.
Top Minecraft texture packs
1) Faithful
Faithful attempts to stay true to the look and feel of the original, vanilla version of Minecraft, hence its rather intriguing name. It’s also one of the older texture packs within this list, being released years ago, and still maintained to this day.
Faithful is recommended for those who aim for a transformative look that still feels familiar to the base game.
2) Bytecraft
Bytecraft aims to create blocks with half the texture resolution (8x) of the vanilla version (16x), making it quite ideal for those with older/weaker PC hardware. Despite these limitations, Bytecraft manages to put forward a unique look of its own without bogging down on resources – making the game run a whole lot smoother.
3) Faithless
Faithless offers a complete transformative look for Minecraft, overhauling a ton of its core functions in the process. The pack includes unique textures for almost every item in the game, as well as changes to animations in some cases.
The result is a very different looking game, with a tinge of the retro GBA aesthetic, which works very well in its favor.
Faithless is one of the more ‘extreme’ texture packs in this list.
4) Ultra FPS Booster
This particular Minecraft texture mod takes what Bytecraft does, and dials it up to 11. In short, Ultra FPS Booster (like the name implies), dramatically boosts your in-game FPS by dropping all texture resolutions into 1×1 blocks.
The change is immediately apparent, and may take a while getting used to. Regardless, it is quite intriguing and a solid option for those with ultra low-end PCs, or those who want to try something new.
5) Retro NES Revived
Retro NES aims to bring the NES styled aesthetic to Minecraft. To this extent, the texture pack features 16×16 blocks (same resolution as the vanilla game), with mild changes to its overall look and feel.
Expect to see lush environments, with pixel-perfect retro eye candy that feels all too familiar to games such as Super Mario Bros. 3 and the like.
6) Vanilla Evolved
Vanilla Evolved can be best described as an ‘enhanced’ version of the existing 16×16, vanilla texture pack for Minecraft. This particular texture pack is only available for the Bedrock version of Minecraft though – with no support for the java version.
It’s still impressive, and offers a new way to experience the game.
7) xali’s Enhanced Vanilla
Despite its name, xali’s Enhanced Vanilla looks anything but vanilla, offering a transformative look to the game, bringing it a more HD-esque look. The mod does however, leave most minor details unaltered, which can be a bonus for many.
Enhanced Vanilla also recommends using Optifine for better performance.
