SDL 3.4, an open-source, cross-platform library that helps software developers build multimedia applications and games more easily on multiple platforms, has been released. The new version delivers a wide range of improvements across graphics, input, audio, and platform integration, with a strong focus on better interoperability between the GPU-based 3D API and the 2D rendering system.
With that said, the new and improved APIs enable querying GPU device properties, configuring Vulkan features at device creation time, and enabling GPU functionality on older hardware via explicit feature flags. Plus, support for YUV textures, HDR color spaces, texture palettes, and improved pixel-art scaling further expands the renderer’s capabilities.
Native PNG image handling is another notable addition. SDL can now load and save PNG images without relying on external image libraries, simplifying asset pipelines and reducing dependencies. The new image APIs also integrate with updated surface-loading functions that automatically detect BMP and PNG formats.
Input handling receives substantial updates as well. SDL 3.4 adds animated color cursors, automatic DPI-aware cursor scaling, enhanced pen and tablet detection, pinch gesture events, and more flexible mouse input transformation.
Controller support has been expanded for several vendors, including improved compatibility with modern gamepads and wired Nintendo Switch 2 controllers when built with libusb. On the audio side, new APIs improve stream-handling efficiency, add support for planar audio, and allow applications to bypass OS-level audio processing when required.
Platform-specific improvements span all supported systems. On Linux, SDL gains atomic KMSDRM support and new hints for controlling atomic modesetting, alongside improvements to Wayland display integration. Windows users benefit from new taskbar progress APIs, optional Direct3D 11 software rasterization, and additional control over raw input and audio behavior.
On macOS, keyboard handling is refined with new key repeat options, while iOS and visionOS receive updates for window scene support and higher default refresh rates on Vision Pro devices.
On top of that, SDL 3.4 adds better control over how windows interact with the browser viewport, including options to fill the document automatically and explicitly bind SDL windows to specific HTML canvas elements or keyboard targets. These changes aim to simplify deployment and improve consistency for browser-based applications.
Beyond new features, the release includes numerous API refinements, bug fixes, and improvements to logging. SDL now exposes additional system information, supports custom memory cleanup for in-memory I/O streams, and provides clearer event descriptions for debugging and diagnostics.
On Unix-like systems, SDL also formalizes the use of ELF metadata notes to describe optional runtime dependencies, helping distributors generate more accurate package dependencies.
SDL 3.4 is available now, with full release notes and detailed API changes published upstream. The announcement is here.
