VRC Light Volumes Guide
VRC Light Volumes are the modern answer for how avatars and other dynamic objects should receive baked world lighting in VRChat.
If you only remember one thing from this section, make it this:
- VRC Light Volumes are the preferred standard
- Unity light probes are the legacy fallback
That does not mean every avatar already supports Light Volumes. It does mean worlds should move toward them, users should update compatible shaders, and docs should stop pretending probes and Light Volumes are equal options.
If you care how avatars actually look in your world, support VRC Light Volumes and keep light probes around only for backward compatibility.
What Light Volumes Solve
In VRChat, baked lighting often looks good on static geometry and then falls apart the moment avatars or dynamic props enter the space.
That is where Light Volumes matter.
They improve:
- local lighting detail on avatars
- grounding in dark interiors and mixed-color scenes
- how dynamic props react to the world
- mirror presentation
- consistency between baked world lighting and moving objects
The Two Sides of the Topic
There are really two different Light Volumes conversations:
| Area | What it focuses on |
|---|---|
| Worlds | How world creators install, validate, and present Light Volume support |
| Avatars | How avatar users and creators update shaders so avatars actually respond correctly |
Read This In Order
If you are here as a world creator:
- Start with Light Probes vs VRC Light Volumes
- Then review Bakery Best Practices if you are also tuning baked lighting
If you are here as an avatar user or avatar creator:
- Start with Avatar Light Volumes
- Continue to Updating Avatar Shaders for Light Volumes
- Use Shader Support for Light Volumes as the reference page
Practical Rules
- World creators should support VRC Light Volumes when avatar presentation matters.
- Worlds that support them should tag themselves with
vrclightvolumes. - Avatar creators should update shaders when support already exists.
- Users should test avatars in actual Light Volume worlds instead of assuming a shader is broken everywhere.
- Light probes remain useful mainly because older avatars still exist.
Do Not Treat This as a Cosmetic Extra
In clubs, venues, social hubs, neon-heavy spaces, dark interiors, and any world where avatars are part of the presentation, Light Volumes are not a tiny polish feature.
They are one of the biggest upgrades you can make to how avatars sit inside the world.
Navigation
| Page | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Light Probes vs VRC Light Volumes | World-side guidance, fallback strategy, and why Light Volumes should be the default |
| Avatar Light Volumes | Big-picture avatar-side explanation and test-world guidance |
| Updating Avatar Shaders for Light Volumes | Practical upgrade workflow for users and creators |
| Shader Support for Light Volumes | Supported shader reference and version notes |
Final Recommendation
Treat VRC Light Volumes as the modern target.
Keep Unity light probes around for compatibility, not because they are the equal long-term choice.