🌟 300k Downloads Milestone & Public Beta Release! 🌟

It feels unreal – it feels like we just passed 200k downloads last week, and 100k the week before that. The growth has been nothing short of amazing, and I’m incredibly grateful for every single download.

Please note: This is a public beta release and an experiment in delivering the shader into everyone’s hands just a bit earlier. While it’s packed with new features, it still needs a bit more work before it can be called a full release, including thorough verification on all platforms. Feedback is greatly appreciated!

Discord invite, look for espens-shaderpacks

What’s New in This Release

Experimental SSR Modes

I’m excited to introduce three levels of SSR for both translucent and solid materials:

Sky Only SSR: Perfect for adding a subtle shine to metals or polished blocks. Reflects only the sky, delivering a clean, atmospheric effect.

Simplified SSR: Designed for everyday use with proper reflections and roughness. Takes a few creative liberties in accuracy, but the results are just fine – more than good enough that you might not even notice the trade-offs!

Accurate Reflections: Built of the old SSR solution but with reduced noise and improved speed. Doesn’t take as many shortcuts as the simplified method – ideal for powerful rigs or when you need that perfect screenshot.

Optimized Performance:

I’m thrilled to report that performance has improved significantly over the previous release, especially on the default Medium profile. Bloops’ lowest-end profile remains as fast and beautiful as ever, and it keeps up the reputation of being built in a scalable way that doesn’t compromise lower-end devices.

Bug Fixes & System Tweaks: This release also fixes several bugs – notably with distant horizons and the Global illumination system – ensuring a smoother experience across the board.

As the shader has matured, I’ve added a lot of extra visual flair that really shines on higher-end computers. My main goal remains to bring these features to everyone, regardless of their hardware... This release now allows more people to experience proper screen space reflections for blocks, I hope you all enjoy it.

Thank you all so much for your incredible support. It’s been a wild ride watching this project grow, and I’m excited for what’s to come!