Horizon download: three files.
Only one of them is the game.
A Horizon setup touches three files: the game from the Horizon project, a pack manifest from this catalog, and optionally the launcher shell. Mixing them up is the most common reason a first install stalls.
One table, no guessing.
| Download | Source | Size | How you check it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Horizon game and toolchain | playhorizon.dev | Set by the Horizon project | The official client manages versions and updates. |
| Pack manifest (.hpack) | This catalog, on each pack page | 1 to 3 KB | SHA-256 on the pack page and in the manifest. |
| xHorizon launcher | /download | 122 MB, Windows x64 | SHA-256 printed on the page and in the release. |
| Shader (.hshader) | Horizon registry, listed on /shaders | Per shader | SHA-256 on the shader page. |
This site hosts pack manifests, not mods, shaders, or the game. Mod files stay with the registry where their authors published them.
The order that works
Account first
A Microsoft account that owns Minecraft: Java Edition. The check runs in the game; nothing on this site can replace it or skip it.
Then the game
Install Horizon from playhorizon.dev and let the client finish preparing the toolchain. The first launch is slower than the second.
Then a pack
Download an .hpack from a pack page and import it in the official client, or press install in the xHorizon shell.
Then everything else
Shaders, resource packs and your own mod files are separate installs. A pack does not carry them and never will.
Verify before you run
Every file this project publishes has a SHA-256 next to it. On Windows, PowerShell prints the same value:
Get-FileHash .\xHorizon-0.1.4-x64.exe -Algorithm SHA256On Linux or macOS, sha256sum does the same. If the value does not match, delete the file and download it again; do not run it and hope.
A pack manifest is readable text. Open it in an editor and you will see the mod ids, versions and digests. That is the whole format, and it is why a pack page can show the exact list before you install anything.
What the sizes mean
The launcher is 122 MB because it carries an Electron runtime, React and a 3D home scene. It is not the game, and it does not shrink the game download: Horizon still installs its own engine and toolchain.
A pack is small because it is a list. A 39-entry pack such as Better+ is about 3 KB. The mods arrive during install from the registry, each checked against the digest in the manifest. Shaders are their own packages, and resource packs are zips.
Five ways this download goes wrong.
| What happens | Why | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Double-clicking an .hpack does nothing | It is a manifest, not an installer. | Import it in the official client or press install in the shell. |
| The launcher installs but the game will not start | The game was never installed, or the toolchain is incomplete. | Install Horizon from playhorizon.dev first, then reopen the shell. |
| SmartScreen blocks the installer | Unsigned preview build. | Check the SHA-256, then choose More info and Run anyway. |
| A .jar mod does nothing | Horizon does not read Minecraft mods. | Look for a native port or a content pack in the registry instead. |
| A shader is missing from the shader menu | The file targets a different game or API version. | Match the shader to your Horizon version and check the log. |
No mirrors, no reuploads
The catalog points at the registry by id, version and digest. It does not copy mod files, shader files or the game, and it does not repackage someone else's work under this name. When an author withdraws a project, the pack that referenced it has to change; that is the cost of not keeping a private copy.
One example from the snapshot: Not Enough Animations was withdrawn in November 2026, so it is not in any pack here even though old guides still mention it. The pack pages are generated from the current registry, which is how that stays true.
For a machine without this launcher
Everything except the shell is available as files. Download the .hpack, import it in the official client, and install shaders and resource packs from their own pages. You lose the install queue and the per-pack profiles, not the content.
After the download.
Launcher 0.1.4
Windows x64, 122 MB, unsigned, with the SHA-256 and the release notes on the page.
122 MBWhich launcher to use
The official client owns the game; the shell adds the catalog. Setup order and troubleshooting in one place.
setup20 packs, one manifest each
Mod counts, pins and server flags, plus which pack to install first.
1-3 KBQuestions this page gets
Where do I download Horizon itself?
From the Horizon project at playhorizon.dev. This site does not mirror the game, the toolchain, or the official launcher. A .hpack from this catalog is not a game installer.
What is the smallest download that gets me playing?
The official game install plus one pack manifest. A manifest is 1 to 3 KB; the launcher resolves the mods from the registry after you press install. The xHorizon shell is optional.
Is the launcher signed?
No. Version 0.1.4 is an unsigned preview, so Windows SmartScreen warns about an unknown publisher. The SHA-256 is published on the download page and in the release; compare it before running the file.
Is there a Linux build?
Not yet. AppImage and .deb builds are planned, but a Windows build cannot produce a Linux artifact that behaves the same. The download page marks Linux as next rather than offering a file.
Why are the packs so small?
Because they are manifests. Ids, versions and a SHA-256 per file, not the mods themselves. A 39-mod pack is about 3 KB; the mods are downloaded from the Horizon registry during install.
Game from Horizon. Packs from here.
Install the game and sign in once, then let a manifest do the rest. Every file on this site has a hash you can check before it runs.