Players often take it for granted, but light is one of the most important things in Minecraft. Without it, the player's bases would be overrun with monsters, it would be impossible to see in underground mining shafts, and zombies would be able to roam around 24 hours a day. In order to ensure that these things don't happen, players often turn to torches or sometimes Glowstone as a light source, but the Redstone Lamp offers a more sophisticated alternative. Players wondering how to craft these for their own builds in survival mode need look no further.
The Redstone Lamp isn't new to Minecraft, and it has actually been available since 2012. Crafting them is relatively easy, but players tend to shy away from this light source since it isn't very efficient. That said, it can be great for decorative purposes or for players wanting to spice things up in their bases.
In order to craft a Redstone Lamp, players will first need to gain access to the Nether. The recipe for the lamp requires a Glowstone block, an item that can only be reliably obtained by traveling to that dimension. Without a pickaxe enchanted with Silk Touch, players will need to gather up four Glowstone Dust for each Glowstone block they want to make. Players that want to avoid going into the Nether at all costs could theoretically get this Glowstone Dust by killing Witches or trading with Cleric villagers, but these are obviously less efficient ways of going about it.
With the Glowstone block in hand, players simply need to use it in conjunction with four pieces of Redstone Dust in order to make a Redstone Lamp. There is one important thing to remember about Redstone Lamps that make them different from other light sources though. Unlike torches or Glowstone, Redstone Lamps must be powered by a Redstone current in order to give off light. While this can be somewhat inconvenient, it does give players a way to turn lights on and off in their bases. Other than that detail, they function very similarly to Glowstone, providing the same amount of light and taking up the same amount of space.
With some clever Redstone wiring, Redstone Lamps can be used to create rooms with modular lighting or even fancy light shows. Even without anything crazy, they are a simple solution for those that want traditional light switches in their house. This modern alternative for lighting in Minecraft can be a great choice for certain builds.
Minecraft is available now on Mobile, PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One.