Fabric is the loader most players use with Sodium Extra, and the install takes a few minutes once you know which files go where. The only part that trips people up is version matching, so this guide puts that first.
Before you start
Sodium Extra is an addon. It does not replace Sodium; it adds extra option pages on top of it. That means your mods folder needs both mods, and both must be built for the same Minecraft version.
- Minecraft: Java Edition installed and launched at least once with the target version.
- The Fabric Loader installer for your launcher.
- A Sodium build for your exact Minecraft version.
- A Sodium Extra build that lists that same Minecraft version and a compatible Sodium version.
Read the dependency list on the Sodium Extra release you pick. Fabric setups usually also include Fabric API, and the release page states whether your chosen build expects it. If you are unsure which game version to target, our version matching guide walks through it.
Install Fabric Loader
- Run the Fabric installer and choose the Client tab.
- Select the Minecraft version you want to play. It must match the version printed on your Sodium and Sodium Extra files.
- Click Install. A new Fabric profile appears in the Minecraft Launcher.
- Launch that profile once without mods. This creates the folders Fabric needs and confirms the loader works by itself.
Add the mods
Close the game, then open your mods folder. On Windows it is %appdata%\.minecraft\mods; on macOS it is ~/Library/Application Support/minecraft/mods; on Linux it is usually ~/.minecraft/mods. Create the folder if it does not exist.
Copy in the compiled .jar files:
- the Sodium jar,
- the Sodium Extra jar,
- any dependency the Sodium Extra release lists, such as Fabric API.
Do not unzip jar files, and do not drop a source-code archive into the folder. A GitHub "Source code (zip)" archive contains the project files used to build the mod, not a runnable jar. Our download section explains what the linked archive contains.
Check the first launch
Start the Fabric profile. When you reach the title screen, open Options → Video Settings. With Sodium installed you get Sodium's settings screen, and with Sodium Extra loaded you should see additional pages for things like animations, particles, details, render and extras. The exact layout depends on your Sodium version.
If the extra pages are missing, the mod probably did not load. Check the launcher's mod list or the latest.log file in the logs folder for a line mentioning Sodium Extra.
Common mistakes
Version mismatch
A Sodium Extra jar built for a different Minecraft or Sodium version is the most common cause of a crash on startup. Replace both jars with builds that list the same game version.
Wrong loader
Fabric builds and NeoForge builds are separate files. A NeoForge jar will not load on Fabric, even if the file name looks similar.
Duplicate jars
Two versions of Sodium or Sodium Extra in the same folder will conflict. Keep one of each.
Once it loads, head to the settings guide to decide which options to change first.