Quest 3 gets native support for Godot Engine, making VR development more accessible
Godot Engine is now available for Quest 3, allowing you to develop 2D and VR games entirely inside the headset without the need for an external computer.
Godot is an open-source alternative to the two leading game engines, Unity and Unreal.
The Godot Foundation released a Quest version of the editor for Quest 3 and Quest Pro in Early Access this weekend, which can be downloaded for free from the Horizon Store. You must have v69 or higher installed to use Godot Engine on Quest.
The Quest version of Godot Engine is a port of the Android version, which is a port of the original desktop version of the Godot engine.
You can learn more about the features and functionality of Godot Engine for Quest in the next section.
Developing in and for VR with Godot Engine
The Quest version of Godot Engine supports all the features of the desktop original. This means that you can now use Quest to develop standalone 2D and VR games without an external computer and completely inside the headset. For ease of programming, a Bluetooth keyboard can be paired with Quest.
The Godot engine appears as a 2D panel, but the app can switch to a fully immersive mode at any time. This allows you to develop a VR app with the headset and then try it out right away. Thanks to seamless multitasking, it is possible to take the editor into the VR app and track changes in real time (see the video below).
While it has been possible to create basic VR games and experiences with VR apps like Horizon Worlds, the possibilities of the Godot Engine are many times greater because it is a full-fledged engine.
The release of Godot Engine for Quest follows a partnership with Meta announced in March this year. Meta's long-term goal with Godot Engine is to create a free, Quest native alternative to Unity and Unreal Engine.
More information about Godot Engine for Quest can be found on the official blog.
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