GDNative

GDNative is a feature of the Godot Engine that enables developers to write game logic and engine extensions in native code languages and load them as shared libraries at runtime. It provides a language-agnostic interface between Godot and external code, offering high performance and flexibility without requiring recompilation of the engine.

Implementation involves compiling code into platform-specific shared libraries (such as DLLs or .so files) and loading them through a GDNativeLibrary resource in Godot. The library implements initialization callbacks and registers native types (classes) with Godot, describing their methods, properties, and signals. Language bindings, such as those for C++, Rust, or other languages via community projects, generate the glue that maps Godot’s API to the host language.

Language support centers on C and C++, with many developers using C++ through bindings provided by the Godot ecosystem. Other languages are supported through community bindings and projects (for example Rust via gdnative and Python through godot-python). The ecosystem emphasizes cross-platform portability, enabling native code to run on Windows, macOS, Linux, and mobile targets.

GDNative complements the engine’s scripting options by allowing performance-critical or externally developed code to integrate with Godot without relying on a specific scripting language. It operates alongside GDScript and other language bindings, allowing hybrid architectures where some logic runs in native code and other logic in scripts.

Limitations and considerations include debugging challenges, the need to maintain binary compatibility with the Godot version, and the responsibility for memory management and resource lifetimes in native code. Despite these trade-offs, GDNative remains a core tool for extending Godot with high-performance native libraries.