Image Credit: Godot Engine

In partnership with Meta, the Godot Engine team, developers of the FOSS (free, open-source software) game engine Godot have recently released a version of the Godot Editor on the Meta Horizon store. This addition offers a multitude of benefits and development enhancements for VR/XR developers, as well as building a strong starting point for prospective developers looking to get started on developing their own applications and games.

Godot has seen a sharp uptick in developers joining its ecosystem within the last two years, primarily driven by developers seeking a long-term solution for their projects. As major engine developers face the need to maintain growth, tactics such as reducing their workforce and changing the terms of their product have greatly eroded developer trust. While this initial exodus was relatively short-term, the impact was significant, resulting in Godot's rise in prominence.

Image Credit: Godot Engine

Developing VR/XR experiences can be a particularly tedious process, one that commonly requires developers to go back and forth between creating the experience and testing it on the designated hardware. Where the Meta Horizon Godot Editor stands out is eliminating that back-and-forth, allowing developers to work on their projects directly on their VR/XR devices without needing to put on and take off the headset repeatedly. Additionally, the Meta Horizon Godot Editor isn't pared down from the original desktop version, meaning developers have the full suite of tools and development capabilities across platforms.

The introduction of the Godot Editor to Meta Horizon is a massive boon for VR/XR developers with limited resources, lowering the notorious barrier to entry the technology faces. There's irony in there, as despite the concept of spatial computing being a major selling point for some, the option to develop a spatial experience by using spatial computing hasn't been available up to this point. Now, creating and refining your very own VR/XR experience has never been easier, and it's exciting to see what new creations come from this new opportunity.