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

In an unexpected move, Apple is stepping up by integrating its visionOS platform support directly into the Godot game engine, which is open-source. This initiative broadens the toolkit available to developers designing content for Apple’s headset.

Similar to the widely used Unity and Unreal engines, Godot offers a suite of tools to create real-time games and apps with ease. However, unlike the others, Godot stands out as a fully open-source platform. This means anyone can use it and distribute games free of charge. Developers also have the opportunity to contribute their own improvements to the engine, benefiting the entire community.

Apple’s decision to add visionOS support to Godot is noteworthy. This move enables developers to create and share Vision Pro content using the engine.

Ricardo Sanchez-Saez, a software engineer at Apple, revealed the company’s plans to enhance Godot with visionOS support as an open-source contribution. The feature rollout will happen in stages. Initially, it will allow Godot-built games to operate in flat windows on visionOS. Later, it will enable the development of fully immersive applications with the engine.

Due to the nature of open-source development, it will take a while for Apple’s contributions to be integrated into the official release of Godot. Currently, there’s no fixed timeline for when the project will be completed.

With Godot joining the ranks of Unity, Unreal Engine, and Apple’s own tools like Xcode and Reality Composer Pro, developers will have even more options for building applications for Vision Pro. Moreover, Godot’s versatility extends to app development for major VR platforms, including Quest and PC VR.