Godot 4.7 is out now, bringing many improvements to rendering, the editor, platforms, and workflow in this popular open-source game engine.
A key new feature is HDR output support, enabling projects to take full advantage of high-dynamic-range displays. While Godot has used HDR internally for lighting for years, this update now lets supported screens display a wider range of brightness and color detail.
The Godot team says HDR output now works on Windows, macOS, iOS, visionOS, and Linux with Wayland.
Additionally, Godot 4.7 now includes basic touch support for Wayland. Touch input was already possible on Linux and BSD with X11, but not with Godot’s Wayland backend until now. This first version lets users drag windows and press buttons using touch, though features like pan and scale gestures are still to come.
Godot 4.7 also adds AreaLight3D, a new node for rectangular light sources. Developers can now create real-time lighting from rectangular surfaces, which makes it easier to show things like lit signs, screens, windows, and other wide light sources without needing to use emissive materials with global illumination.
Another big update is the new Asset Store, which replaces the old Asset Library. The new store makes it easier to browse assets in the editor, adds ratings, lets you zoom in on preview images, and uses threading so background tasks do not slow down the main editor.
The shader workflow gets better too, with inline previews for text-based shader operations. Now, developers can see shader results right in the editor as they work, so there’s less need to compile and check results separately.
For interface design, Godot 4.7 adds offset transforms for Control nodes. This lets you move, rotate, or scale UI elements without changing how the container layout works.
Regarding Android, with the stable Godot Android Build Environment, developers can now export and publish games right from Android devices. Godot 4.7 also adds features like picture-in-picture support, movable and resizable embedded game windows, and orientation changes in the Script Editor.
On the editor and workflow side, the 3D editor now offers vertex snapping, a new vector measurement tool, the ability to follow moving objects, and trackball-style rotation for 3D nodes. There’s also a new MeshLibrary editor, a 2D scene painting mode, better Inspector copy and paste support, and clearer indicators in the Project Manager when a project needs to be upgraded or downgraded.
For 2D, Godot 4.7 adds one-way collision direction for CollisionShape2D, conic gradients in GradientTexture2D, and tiling support for AtlasTexture resources in TextureRect nodes. Accessibility is better too, with landmark navigation that gives screen readers greater context about focused interface elements.
For additional details, see the announcement. You can download Godot 4.7 now from the project’s official website.
As with other major Godot updates, users with existing projects should exercise caution before upgrading. The Godot team recommends reading the migration guide first, since this release includes breaking changes.
