Sodium Options API Mod (1.21.5, 1.20.1) – Sodium Options Enhancement

Sodium Options API is a utility and optimization mod that provides a cross-platform configuration API for adding custom options to the Sodium and Embeddium settings menus in Minecraft, available for Fabric, Forge, and NeoForge. It also enhances the options menu with an improved category layout and drop-down navigation when paired with Reese's Sodium Options.

Anyone who has used Sodium with multiple add-on mods knows the pain — settings from different mods get crammed into a flat menu that becomes harder to navigate as your mod list grows. Sodium Options API solves this by giving mod developers a unified way to register their settings pages, groups, and individual options directly into the Sodium menu. The result for players is a tidier, better-organized options screen that actually scales with your setup. With over 13 million downloads, this has quietly become one of the most widely depended-upon library mods in the Minecraft optimization ecosystem. Created by Txni, it originated as a fork of the Embeddium categories API but has since been heavily reworked to support upstream Sodium across multiple mod loaders and Minecraft versions.

Key Features of Sodium Options API

• Full Option Page Registration (OptionGUIConstruction.EVENT) — This is the primary event most mod developers will use. It fires once during the GUI constructor and allows adding entire custom pages to the Sodium settings menu. For players, this means add-on mods can have their own dedicated settings tabs instead of cluttering existing pages with unrelated toggles.
• Per-Page Option Group Injection (OptionPageConstruction.EVENT) — Called for each OptionPage as it is built, this event lets developers insert a group of related toggles into existing tabs like the Performance page. If you have ever wanted a mod's performance-related settings to appear right alongside Sodium's own performance options, this is how it happens behind the scenes.
• Single Option Insertion (OptionGroupConstruction.EVENT) — For more surgical modifications, this event fires for each group of options and allows inserting a single option into an existing group or even modifying vanilla Sodium options. This keeps the menu clean by placing individual settings exactly where they logically belong rather than tacking them onto the end.
• Improved Category Menu with Drop-Down Support — When installed alongside Reese's Sodium Options, the mod enhances the category navigation with drop-down menus. This takes effect globally, even for mods that inject into Sodium options directly without using this API. The result is a much easier-to-navigate settings screen, especially for heavily modded instances.
• Cross-Platform Compatibility — A single event registration works across Fabric, Forge (via Embeddium), and NeoForge. Mod developers write their settings integration once, and it works regardless of which loader the player is running. For players, this means fewer compatibility headaches and more consistent mod behavior across platforms.
• Mixin-Based Reese's Integration — The mod modifies the Reese's Sodium Options menu through mixin rather than replacing it. This approach preserves compatibility with other mods that also interact with Reese's Options, reducing the risk of conflicts in complex modpacks. You do need both mods installed for the enhanced menu to work.

Screenshots

How to Install Sodium Options API

1. Install your preferred mod loader: Fabric, Minecraft Forge, or NeoForge depending on your Minecraft version and preference.
2. Make sure you have Sodium (for Fabric/NeoForge) or Embeddium (for Forge) installed, as Sodium Options API extends their settings menus.
3. Download the correct Sodium Options API file for your Minecraft version and loader from the download section below.
4. Place the downloaded .jar file into your .minecraft/mods folder. For the enhanced category menu, also install Reese's Sodium Options in the same folder.
5. Launch Minecraft and open the Sodium video settings menu — you should see the improved category navigation with drop-down support if Reese's Options is also present.

Requirements & Compatibility

Sodium Options API requires either Sodium (Fabric/NeoForge) or Embeddium (Forge) as a base. For the enhanced drop-down category menu, Reese's Sodium Options must also be installed. The mod is licensed under LGPL-3.0-only.

What's New

• Ported to Minecraft 1.21.5 with full Fabric and NeoForge support.
• Continued cross-platform event API maintained across both Sodium 0.5 and 0.6 branches.
• Ongoing compatibility updates to align with upstream Sodium changes.

Pros and Cons

Alternatives to Sodium Options API

• Reese's Sodium Options — Redesigns the Sodium settings screen with a sidebar layout; works best when paired with Sodium Options API for drop-down category support.
• Embeddium — A Forge port of Sodium that includes its own built-in categories API, which Sodium Options API was partially forked from.
• Sodium Extra — Adds additional toggle options to Sodium's settings menu for particles, animations, and other visual effects that Sodium does not cover by default.

Download Sodium Options API

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need Sodium Options API if I'm just a regular player?

It depends on your mod list. If you have Sodium add-on mods installed, there is a good chance one of them already requires Sodium Options API as a dependency. Even without add-ons, installing it alongside Reese's Sodium Options gives you an improved category menu with drop-down navigation that makes the settings screen easier to use.

Does Sodium Options API work with NeoForge?

Yes — Sodium Options API supports NeoForge on Minecraft 1.21.1, 1.21.4, and 1.21.5. For older versions like 1.20 and 1.20.1, Forge is supported instead, as NeoForge was not yet established for those releases.

Is Reese's Sodium Options required to use this mod?

No — Sodium Options API works independently as a library for other mods. However, the enhanced drop-down category menu feature specifically requires Reese's Sodium Options to be installed alongside it. Without Reese's, the API functionality still works but the visual menu improvements will not appear.

Will this mod affect my game performance?

Sodium Options API appears to be lightweight and should not noticeably affect performance. It functions primarily as a configuration library that modifies the settings menu interface rather than altering rendering or game logic. The mod only activates when the Sodium options screen is opened.

Can I use Sodium Options API with Embeddium on Forge?

Yes — the mod was partially forked from the Embeddium categories API and maintains compatibility with it. On Forge 1.20–1.20.1, Sodium Options API works with Embeddium to provide the same cross-platform event system that Fabric and NeoForge users get with Sodium.

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