How To Change Your Gamma Settings in Minecraft

Co-authored by Zac Churchill and Cory Stillman

Last Updated: October 28, 2022 Tested

Do you think your gamma is too low in your game of Minecraft? Darkness can present all kinds of obstacles in Minecraft. You may constantly burn through coal as you make torch after torch, or you may find yourself completely lost when night falls. But you might be able to avoid all these issues simply by turning up your gamma. It is easy to do, and raises your visibility when you need it most. This wikiHow article will tell you everything you need to know about turning up your gamma in Minecraft.

Things You Should Know

Turn up your gamma in Minecraft so you can see in dark places without a torch.
Identify the "Gamma" settings within your Minecraft file and set the number to whatever you prefer.
Restart Minecraft to experience your updated gamma settings.
Continue to experiment with different gamma settings until you find a display that suits you.

Method 1

Method 1 of 1:

Change Gamma in Minecraft's Files

1
Open your computer's Minecraft files. Search for "minecraft" in your computer's file explorer.
2
Review the list of files. Click on the one that says "options" (It should be a .txt type).

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3
Look at the multiple settings that you can change. Find the setting that says "gamma".^{[1]
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4
Change the numbers next to gamma to be as high as you want. When you're done, save and exit the file and the folder.
5
Open up Minecraft and start a new world. If you followed these steps correctly, whenever you go into a cave or somewhere generally dark, you won't need to bring any torches because you can see everything.
- If you remain unhappy with your gamma settings, consider updating your computer's graphics card, or altering its gamma settings.

Community Q&A

Question

How do I save the folder?

Community Answer

You don't -- you edit the option.txt file and then save that. If you're not sure how to do that, there are plenty of guides online that can help you out.
Question

Will it be bright in multiplayer to others?

Community Answer

If it is on the same system it will be bright for others. If you mean on other systems, they have to do it themselves.
Question

How would I do this on the new launcher?

Neko Means Cat

Community Answer

The version of the launcher is irrelevant. It's done in game by going into the settings page and adjusting gamma under 'video settings.'

Warnings

Even with your gamma turned up, you should still continue looking for coals, especially as you will need it for smelting purposes.

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