Apple Expands Development Options by Integrating visionOS Support into Open-source Game Engine

In an exciting and unusual step, Apple is integrating support for its visionOS platform directly into the Godot open-source game engine. This move widens the array of tools available to developers crafting content for Apple’s headset.

Godot, much like the well-known Unity and Unreal game engines, offers a suite of development tools simplifying the process of creating real-time games and apps. The key difference, however, is that Godot is fully open-source. This means it’s freely accessible to anyone, enabling developers to distribute games without any cost. The open-source nature also invites contributions, allowing developers to enhance the engine with new features and fixes available to the entire community.

Apple’s decision to add visionOS support to Godot marks a notable development, allowing developers to create and share Vision Pro content using the engine.

Ricardo Sanchez-Saez, an Apple software engineer, recently revealed the company’s initiative to introduce visionOS support as an open-source contribution to Godot. The enhancement will unfold in two major phases. Initially, it will enable Godot-developed games to operate within flat windows on visionOS. The second phase aims to support the creation of fully immersive visionOS applications.

Due to the open-source integration process, it will take some time for Apple’s contributions to be incorporated into the stable version of Godot. As of now, there’s no set timeline for the project’s completion.

Once this integration is complete, Godot will line up alongside Unity, Unreal Engine, and Apple’s own tools like X-code and Reality Composer Pro, as a resource for developers producing applications for Vision Pro. Notably, Godot is also suitable for building apps for leading VR platforms such as Quest and PC VR.