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

In an interesting turn of events, Apple is enhancing the Godot open-source game engine by integrating support for its visionOS platform. This move broadens the array of tools developers can leverage to create content for Apple’s headset.

Godot, much like the well-known Unity and Unreal engines, offers a suite of development tools that simplify the creation of real-time games and applications. However, what sets Godot apart is its fully open-source nature, allowing anyone to use and distribute games built with it for free. Additionally, developers have the opportunity to contribute improvements and fixes, making it a collaborative tool for the community.

In a rare initiative, Apple is embedding visionOS support directly into Godot. This will enable developers to craft and share Vision Pro content using this engine.

Apple’s software engineer, Ricardo Sanchez-Saez, recently unveiled the company’s strategy to incorporate visionOS support in Godot as an open-source contribution. He explained that the update will come in two major phases. The first will allow games created with Godot to function within flat windows on visionOS. The subsequent phase will empower developers to design fully immersive visionOS applications using the engine.

Given the open-source nature of this endeavor, integrating Apple’s contributions into the production version of Godot will take some time, and there isn’t a set timeline for the project’s completion.

With this development, Godot joins the ranks of Unity, Unreal Engine, and Apple’s own tools like X-code and Reality Composer Pro, offering developers another pathway to create applications for Vision Pro. It’s also worth noting that Godot is compatible with major VR platforms, including Quest and PC VR, solidifying its position as a versatile engine in the gaming industry.