CurseForge has many mods that will change the way you look at Minecraft. I have spent years choosing which mods to keep so that my world looks as beautiful as possible, and I think I just found the next download.

Distant Horizons is one of those mods that will change the way you look at Minecraft; installing the mod will add simple terrain beyond Minecraft's default view distances, improve performance, and increase drawing distances.

The Distant Horizons demo video showcases these great views, biome blending, and faster geometry rebuilding. The number of threads in the world generator can now be less than 1, which slows down world generation and makes rendering distances easier to handle. I know many people who play Minecraft on older gaming laptops and PCs, so it's great to have mods available for those who don't have the latest hardware.

However, it is important to note that the mod is currently available for recent versions of Minecraft up to 1.20.2, although the demo video shows Alpha for 1.6.3, so it is slightly older.

For a more recent look at Distant Horizons, YouTuber AsianHalfSquat's video showcases the mod's capabilities (thanks, TheGamer.) Optifine previously had a shader that rendered 64 chunks of distance run, but Distant Horizons clearly takes it to the next level with a render distance of 512 chunks. However, if the stunning snowy mountains in the distance are not enough to convince you, I highly recommend checking out terrain generation mods like Terralith and Tectonic.

I've been in the habit of building sprawling cities and blackstone castles on flat mountain tops for a decade, so these mods may allow you to enjoy beautiful views above the clouds without having to worry about frame rate disruption. Also, it's really cool to see dramatic landscapes flowing through Minecraft after the cave and cliff updates. Plus, if finding Woodland Mansions is no longer a pain thanks to this mod, then we have Distant Horizons to thank.