Just Brightness: A Simple Gamma Toggle for Minecraft
Few things slow down a Minecraft session like squinting into a pitch-black cave or fumbling with torches just to see where you are building. Just Brightness solves that problem with a single key press. It is a lightweight, client-side add-on that flips an enhanced gamma value on and off whenever you need it, then hands control straight back to your normal vanilla brightness.
If you have ever wished for a night-vision button that does not feel like cheating, this is exactly that. It changes only the gamma value used by the client renderer, so nothing about your world, your saves, or your brightness slider gets permanently altered.
What Just Brightness Actually Does
At its core, the mod overrides the gamma value the client uses to render light levels. When you press the toggle key, the game switches to a brighter gamma. Press it again, and you are back to the exact brightness you had configured in vanilla settings. Because the mod never writes to Minecraft's saved brightness setting, disabling it always restores your own preference.
By default, the toggle is bound to the B key, and enhanced brightness plus the on-screen toggle message are both enabled out of the box. You can set the enhanced gamma anywhere from 1.0 to 32.0, so you are free to pick a subtle lift or an extreme "see everything" mode.
Key Features at a Glance
- Press B by default to toggle enhanced brightness on or off
- Adjustable gamma from 1.0 to 32.0 while the effect is active
- Option to start every world with enhanced brightness already enabled
- Show or hide the temporary action-bar message after each toggle
- Rebind the toggle key through the standard Options to Controls screen
- Separate Open Settings key for configuring the mod in game
- Client-side only, with no runtime dependencies beyond NeoForge
- Settings stored in config/justbrightness.toml
Supported Versions and Loader
Just Brightness for Minecraft is built for Minecraft Java Edition 26.3 and runs on NeoForge 26.3. It is a NeoForge-exclusive add-on, so Fabric or Forge users will need to switch loaders before installing. Since it is purely client-side, it does not need to be present on any server you join.
If you manage a large mod list, grabbing add-ons through the foxygame.net launcher is a convenient shortcut, since Just Brightness can be added from its catalog and kept current automatically without manual file juggling.
How to Install Just Brightness
Installation takes less than a minute and follows the same pattern as most NeoForge mods.
- Install NeoForge for Minecraft 26.3
- Download the NeoForge 26.3 JAR of Just Brightness
- Place the JAR file into your Minecraft instance's mods folder
- Launch the game and confirm the mod loads
Once you are in game, open Options and then Controls to rebind the toggle if B conflicts with another key. You can also bind the separate Open Settings key to tweak gamma values and startup behaviour without leaving the world.
Using It on Multiplayer Servers
Because Just Brightness is installed on the client only, servers do not need it and will not detect it as a server-side mod. That said, brightness-related client modifications may be restricted by individual server rules. Check those rules before using it in multiplayer, especially on competitive or survival-focused servers where gamma changes are treated as an unfair advantage.
Compatibility and Requirements
The mod modifies only the client renderer's gamma value. It does not touch world data and does not send information to external services. Shader packs control lighting independently, so the visible result can vary depending on which shader pack you are running. Some packs may largely override the effect, while others will show a clear difference.
Requirements are straightforward: Minecraft Java Edition 26.3 and NeoForge 26.3. There are no additional runtime dependencies to chase down.
Licensing and Modpacks
Just Brightness is licensed under LGPL-3.0-only, which means it may be included in modpacks under the terms of that license. Source code is available for anyone who wants to inspect exactly how the gamma override works, and issues can be reported through the project's tracker.
Final Thoughts
Just Brightness does one job and does it well. It gives you an instant, reversible brightness boost for cave exploration, night building, or any moment when vanilla lighting is not quite enough, and it leaves your actual brightness settings untouched. If you want a brighter view without permanent changes or heavy performance overhead, download Just Brightness and bind that toggle key today.