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

In an unusual yet exciting development, Apple is taking a significant step by incorporating its visionOS platform into the Godot open-source game engine. This move broadens the toolkit available to developers eager to create content for Apple’s headset.

Like its well-known counterparts, Unity and Unreal, Godot 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. This means anyone can freely utilize the engine and distribute games made with it. Additionally, developers have the opportunity to contribute improvements and bug fixes for the greater community.

It’s quite surprising to see Apple, known for its proprietary approach, directly adding visionOS support to Godot. This strategic decision will enable developers to build and distribute Vision Pro content seamlessly using the engine.

Ricardo Sanchez-Saez, an Apple software engineer, recently unveiled the company’s initiative to integrate visionOS support into Godot as an open-source contribution. He outlined a two-phase rollout. The initial phase will allow games developed with Godot to operate in flat windows on visionOS. The second phase aims to support the development of fully immersive visionOS applications.

Given the nature of open-source development, integrating Apple’s contributions into the main version of Godot will take time, and there’s no set timeline for when this project will be complete.

Once this integration is finalized, Godot will stand alongside Unity, Unreal Engine, and Apple’s in-house tools like X-code and Reality Composer Pro, offering developers a robust platform to craft applications for Vision Pro.

Moreover, Godot already supports app development for major VR platforms, including Quest and PC VR, making it a versatile choice for developers across the virtual reality spectrum.