Godot 4 Download: How to Get the Latest Version of the Free and Open Source Game Engine
If you are looking for a game engine that is free, open source, cross-platform, and packed with features, you might want to check out Godot 4. Godot 4 is the latest version of the Godot game engine, which was released on March 1, 2023. It is a major update that overhauls the rendering system, adds support for Vulkan graphics API, improves GDScript performance and usability, enhances physics and animation systems, and introduces many other features and bug fixes.
In this article, we will show you how to download Godot 4 for Windows and other platforms, how to get preview builds and compile from source, and how to compare Godot 4 with other game engines.
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What is Godot 4?
A major update with new features and improvements
Godot 4 is the culmination of years of development by more than 2000 contributors. It is a complete core overhaul and a full engine rewrite that aims to make Godot more powerful, flexible, and user-friendly. Some of the highlights of Godot 4 are:
A new Vulkan-based rendering engine that supports advanced graphics features such as SDF-based global illumination, GPU-based particles, dynamic soft shadows, volumetric fog, screen-space reflections, subsurface scattering, and more.
A revamped GDScript language that offers optional static typing support, first-class functions, lambdas, new property syntax, await keyword, super keyword, typed arrays, built-in annotations, and more.
A redesigned editor interface that improves usability and accessibility, with new themes, icons, fonts, docking system, inspector panel, context menus, tooltips, popups, dialogs, color picker, file system dock, script editor enhancements, etc.
An improved physics system that uses Bullet as the default backend for both 2D and 3D physics. It also adds support for soft body simulation, ragdoll physics, cloth simulation, raycast vehicles, convex decomposition tools, etc.
An enhanced animation system that allows for more control and flexibility over animation blending, transitions, tracks, curves, etc. It also adds support for animation retargeting using IK or FK solvers.
A new node system that allows for creating data-driven elements with custom resources. Resources are scriptable objects that can describe characters, entities, data structures in your game. You can use your custom objects directly in the editor by assigning them to nodes.
A new GDExtension API that allows for scripting and programming your game components in C++ without having to recompile the engine. You can also use GDExtension to create bindings for other languages such as Rust or Python.
And many more! You can find a detailed list of new features in the official release announcement or watch this video by GDQuest .
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A free and open source alternative to other game engines
Godot 4 is not only a powerful game engine, but also a free and open source one. This means that you can use it for any kind of project, commercial or non-commercial, without paying any royalties or fees. You can also modify the source code and contribute to the development of the engine. Godot 4 is licensed under the MIT license, which is one of the most permissive licenses available.
Godot 4 is also a community-driven project, which means that it is developed by people who love making games and want to share their passion and knowledge with others. You can join the Godot community on various platforms such as Discord , Reddit , Twitter , Facebook , etc. You can also find tutorials, documentation, demos, assets, and other resources on the official website or on other websites such as GDQuest , Game from Scratch , KidsCanCode , etc.
How to download Godot 4 for Windows
Requirements and recommendations
To download and run Godot 4 on Windows, you will need:
A 64-bit Windows 7 or later operating system.
A graphics card that supports Vulkan 1.1 or later. You can check if your GPU supports Vulkan by using this tool .
A CPU that supports SSE2 instruction set or later.
At least 2 GB of RAM.
At least 500 MB of disk space.
We also recommend that you have:
A monitor that supports at least 1280x720 resolution.
A mouse and a keyboard.
A sound card and speakers or headphones.
An internet connection for downloading updates and resources.
Steps to download and run Godot 4
To download and run Godot 4 on Windows, you can follow these steps:
Go to the official download page and click on the "Windows" tab.
Select the version that suits your needs. You can choose between the "Standard" version, which includes the editor and the export templates for Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, iOS, HTML5, etc., or the "Mono" version, which also includes support for C# scripting and .NET integration. You can also choose between the "64-bit" or the "32-bit" version depending on your system architecture.
Click on the download button and save the file to your preferred location. The file will be a ZIP archive that contains the executable file and other files.
Extract the ZIP archive to a folder of your choice. You can use any tool that can handle ZIP files, such as WinRAR or 7-Zip .
Double-click on the executable file to launch Godot 4. You will see a splash screen followed by a project manager window that allows you to create, import, or open projects.
Export templates and .NET support
If you want to export your games to other platforms, you will need to download the export templates for those platforms. You can do this by clicking on the "Editor" menu in the top-left corner of the editor window, then selecting "Manage Export Templates". You will see a dialog box that allows you to download or update the export templates for various platforms. You can also manually download the export templates from the official download page and install them by clicking on the "Install from file" button in the dialog box.
If you want to use C# scripting or .NET integration in your projects, you will need to install some additional software. You will need:
The Mono SDK , which is a cross-platform implementation of .NET Framework.
The MSBuild tool , which is a build system for .NET projects.
The Visual Studio Code editor or another IDE that supports C# development.
You can find more information on how to set up C# scripting and .NET integration in Godot 4 in this documentation page .
How to download Godot 4 for other platforms
Linux
To download and run Godot 4 on Linux, you will need:
A 64-bit Linux distribution that supports Vulkan graphics API. You can check if your GPU supports Vulkan by using this tool .
A CPU that supports SSE2 instruction set or later.
At least 2 GB of RAM.
At least 500 MB of disk space.
We also recommend that you have:
A monitor that supports at least 1280x720 resolution.
A mouse and a keyboard.
A sound card and speakers or headphones.
An internet connection for downloading updates and resources.
To download and run Godot 4 on Linux, you can follow these steps:
Go to the official download page and click on the "Linux" tab.
Select the version that suits your needs. You can choose between the "Standard" version, which includes the editor and the export templates for Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, iOS, HTML5, etc., or the "Mono" version, which also includes support for C# scripting and .NET integration. You can also choose between the "64-bit" or the "32-bit" version depending on your system architecture.
Click on the download button and save the file to your preferred location. The file will be a ZIP archive that contains the executable file and other files.
Extract the ZIP archive to a folder of your choice. You can use any tool that can handle ZIP files, such as unzip or p7zip .
Make the executable file executable by running this command in a terminal: chmod +x Godot_v4.0-stable_x11.64 (or chmod +x Godot_v4.0-mono-stable_x11.64 if you downloaded the Mono version).
Run the executable file by double-clicking on it or by running this command in a terminal: ./Godot_v4.0-stable_x11.64 (or ./Godot_v4.0-mono-stable_x11.64 if you downloaded the Mono version). You will see a splash screen followed by a project manager window that allows you to create, import, or open projects.
macOS
To download and run Godot 4 on macOS, you will need:
A 64-bit macOS 10.12 or later operating system.
A graphics card that supports Metal graphics API. You can check if your GPU supports Metal by using this tool .
A CPU that supports SSE2 instruction set or later.
At least 2 GB of RAM.
At least 500 MB of disk space.
We also recommend that you have:
A monitor that supports at least 1280x720 resolution.
A mouse and a keyboard.
A sound card and speakers or headphones.
An internet connection for downloading updates and resources.
To download and run Godot 4 on macOS, you can follow these steps:
Go to the official download page and click on the "macOS" tab.
Select the version that suits your needs. You can choose between the "Standard" version, which includes the editor and the export templates for Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, iOS, HTML5, etc., or the "Mono" version, which also includes support for C# scripting and .NET integration. You can also choose between the "64-bit" or the "32-bit" version depending on your system architecture.
Click on the download button and save the file to your preferred location. The file will be a ZIP archive that contains the executable file and other files.
Extract the ZIP archive to a folder of your choice. You can use any tool that can handle ZIP files, such as The Unarchiver or Keka .
Double-click on the executable file to launch Godot 4. You will see a splash screen followed by a project manager window that allows you to create, import, or open projects.
Android
To download and run Godot 4 on Android, you will need:
An Android device that runs Android 8.0 or later operating system.
A graphics card that supports Vulkan graphics API. You can check if your GPU supports Vulkan by using this tool .
A CPU that supports ARMv7-A (32-bit) or ARMv8-A (64-bit) instruction set.
At least 1 GB of RAM.
At least 100 MB of disk space.
We also recommend that you have:
A monitor that supports at least 1280x720 resolution.
A touch screen or a game controller.
A sound card and speakers or headphones.
An internet connection for downloading updates and resources.
To download and run Godot 4 on Android, you can follow these steps:
Go to the official download page and click on the "Android" tab.
Select the version that suits your needs. You can choose between the "Standard" version, which includes the editor and the export templates for Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, iOS, HTML5, etc., or the "Mono" version, which also includes support for C# scripting and .NET integration. You can also choose between the "64-bit" or the "32-bit" version depending on your system architecture.
Click on the download button and save the file to your preferred location. The file will be an APK file that contains the executable file and other files.
Transfer the APK file to your Android device using a USB cable, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or any other method.
Enable the installation of apps from unknown sources on your device by following this guide .
Locate and tap on the APK file to install Godot 4 on your device. You will see a confirmation dialog box that asks you to grant permissions to the app.
Launch Godot 4 by tapping on its icon on your device's home screen or app drawer. You will see a splash screen followed by a project manager window that allows you to create, import, or open projects.
Web
To download and run Godot 4 on the web, you will need:
A web browser that supports WebAssembly and WebGL 2.0. You can check if your browser supports these technologies by using this tool .
An internet connection for downloading and running Godot 4.
We also recommend that you have:
A monitor that supports at least 1280x720 resolution.
A mouse and a keyboard.
A sound card and speakers or headphones.
To download and run Godot 4 on the web, you can follow these steps:
Go to the official download page and click on the "Web" tab.
Select the version that suits your needs. You can choose between the "Standard" version, which includes the editor and the export templates for Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, iOS, HTML5, etc., or the "Mono" version, which also includes support for C# scripting and .NET integration. You can also choose between the "64-bit" or the "32-bit" version depending on your system architecture.
Click on the download button and wait for Godot 4 to load in your browser. You will see a progress bar followed by a splash screen and a project manager window that allows you to create, import, or open projects.
How to get preview builds and compile from source
Preview builds for testing new features and bug fixes
If you want to try out the latest features and bug fixes of Godot 4 before they are officially released, you can download the preview builds from the official website . These are nightly builds that are generated from the latest source code of Godot 4. They are not stable or guaranteed to work properly, so use them at your own risk. You can also report any issues or feedback that you encounter while using them on GitHub .
To download and run preview builds of Godot 4, you can follow these steps:
Go to this page and select your platform (Windows, Linux, macOS, Android, Web).
Select the version that suits your needs. You can choose between the "Standard" version or the "Mono" version. You can also choose between the "64-bit" or the "32-bit" version depending on your system architecture.
Click on the download button and save the file to your preferred location. The file will be a ZIP archive (for Windows, Linux, macOS) or an APK file (for Android) that contains the executable file and other files.
Extract the ZIP archive (for Windows, Linux, macOS) or install the APK file (for Android) to a folder of your choice.
Run the executable file by double-clicking on it (for Windows, Linux, macOS) or tapping on its icon (for Android). You will see a splash screen followed by a project manager window that allows you to create, import, or open projects.
Compiling from source for customizing and contributing
If you want to customize Godot 4 to suit your specific needs or contribute to its development, you can compile it from source. This means that you will download the source code of Godot 4 from GitHub and use a compiler to build it into an executable file. This process requires some technical skills and tools, such as Git , SCons , Python , C++ compiler , etc. You can find more information on how to compile Godot 4 from source in this documentation page .
To compile Godot 4 from source, you can follow these steps:
Clone the Godot 4 repository from GitHub by running this command in a terminal: git clone
Switch to the master branch by running this command in a terminal: git checkout master
Install the required dependencies for your platform by following this guide .
Run the SCons build system by running this command in a terminal: scons platform=windows target=release_debug (or scons platform=linuxbsd target=release_debug or scons platform=osx target=release_debug depending on your platform). You can also add other options such as bits=32 or mono=yes depending on your needs.
Wait for the compilation process to finish. You will see a message that says "Godot has been successfully built" followed by the path to the executable file.
Run the executable file by double-clicking on it or by running this command in a terminal: ./bin/godot.windows.opt.tools.64.exe (or ./bin/godot.linuxbsd.opt.tools.64 or ./bin/godot.osx.opt.tools.universal depending on your platform). You will see a splash screen followed by a project manager window that allows you to create, import, or open projects.
How to compare Godot 4 with other game engines
Godot 4 vs Unity
If you are wondering how Godot 4 compares with Unity, one of the most popular game engines in the market, here are some points to consider:
Godot 4
Unity
- Free and open source under MIT license.
- Free for personal and educational use, but requires subscription plans for commercial use.
- Supports Vulkan graphics API for high-performance rendering.
- Supports DirectX, OpenGL, Metal, and Vulkan graphics APIs for rendering.
- Uses GDScript as the main scripting language, which is similar to Python. Also supports C#, C++, GDNative, GDExtension, and Visual Scripting.
- Uses C# as the main scripting language. Also supports Visual Scripting and native plugins.
- Has a node-based scene system that allows for creating complex hierarchies of objects and behaviors.
- Has a component-based scene system that allows for attaching scripts and properties to objects.
- Has a built-in animation system that supports animation blending, transitions, tracks, curves, etc.
- Has a built-in animation system that supports animation blending, transitions, state machines, etc.
- Has a built-in physics system that uses Bullet as the default backend for both 2D and 3D physics. Also supports soft body simulation, ragdoll physics, cloth simulation, raycast vehicles, etc.
- Has a built-in physics system that uses PhysX as the default backend for 3D physics and Box2D for 2D physics. Also supports cloth simulation, raycast vehicles, etc.
- Has a built-in editor that is customizable and extensible with plugins and themes.
- Has a built-in editor that is customizable and extensible with assets and packages.
- Has a smaller user base and community, but growing rapidly.
- Has a larger user base and community, with many resources and tutorials available.
As you can see, Godot 4 and Unity have some similarities and differences, and each one has its own strengths and weaknesses. Ultimately, the best game engine for you depends on your personal preferences, goals, and needs.
Godot 4 vs Unreal Engine
If you are wondering how Godot 4 compares with Unreal Engine, another popular game engine in the market, here are some points to consider:
Godot 4
Unreal Engine
- Free and open source under MIT license.
- Free for personal and educational use, but requires 5% royalty fee for commercial use after $1 million in gross revenue.
- Supports Vulkan graphics API for high-performance rendering.
- Supports DirectX, OpenGL, Metal, Vulkan, and Ray Tracing graphics APIs for rendering.
- Uses GDScript as the main scripting language, which is similar to Python. Also supports C#, C++, GDNative, GDExtension, and Visual Scripting.
- Uses C++ as the main scripting language. Also supports Blueprints Visual Scripting and native plugins.
- Has a node-based scene system that allows for creating complex hierarchies of objects and behaviors.
- Has an actor-based scene system that allows for creating objects with components and scripts.
- Has a built-in animation system that supports animation blending, transitions, tracks, curves, etc.
- Has a built-in animation system that supports animation blending, transitions, state machines, montages, etc.
Reporting bugs or suggesting features on GitHub .
Fixing issues or adding features by submitting pull requests on GitHub .
Writing or translating documentation on Read the Docs .
Creating or sharing tutorials, demos, assets, or plugins on the official website or other platforms.
Donating , sponsoring , or becoming a patron to support the development of Godot 4.
You can find more information on how to contribute to Godot 4 in this documentation page . 44f88ac181