Godot 4.2 Dev Snapshot 6: Feature-Packed Pre-Beta Release

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The final dev snapshot for Godot 4.2 is here, and it's loaded with exciting features!

Illustration by Kay Lousberg

The Godot development team is thrilled to unveil the last development snapshot for Godot 4.2 before the beta phase kicks off. This snapshot marks the conclusion of the feature development cycle, bringing us one step closer to the highly anticipated stable release of Godot 4.2. But why wait for the beta release to get a taste of what's coming? Dive into this dev snapshot to explore a plethora of amazing new features that need your testing and feedback!

Here's a glimpse of some of the major highlights since the previous 4.2 dev snapshot:

Rendering Improvements:

• Experience enhanced graphics with AMD's FidelityFX Super Resolution (FSR) 2.2, now available as an upscaling option.
• macOS and Windows users benefit from the addition of an optional ANGLE-backed OpenGL renderer, improving portability on lower-end devices.
• The OpenGL Compatibility renderer now supports 3D shadows, elevating your gaming experience.
• Lightmapping is now faster and more efficient with the lightweight JNLM denoiser compute shader.
• Expect improvements in lightmapping quality and consistency with various bug fixes.

Animation Enhancements:

• Unify AnimationPlayer and AnimationTree APIs using a common AnimationMixer base class, addressing numerous issues.
• Enjoy a refined C# integration with various improvements in bindings, language interoperability, backward compatibility, and editor user experience.

GDExtension Features:

• Hot reloading extensions in the editor is now possible.
• Access class references in the extension API JSON.
• Web platform support for loading dynamic libraries.

GDScript Updates:

• Introducing raw string literals, pattern guards for match statements, and a --lsp-port command line argument.
• Numerous optimizations and fixes to improve the GDScript experience.

Editor Improvements:

• A revamped Gradient editor, customizable asset installation locations, and fixes in the script editor and FileSystem docks.
• Significant performance boosts in TileMap quadrants and Y-sorting.
• Introduction of 2D navigation mesh baking.

Visual Shader Enhancements:

• Drop-down list properties for custom nodes and expandable output ports for vector types.

This dev snapshot is pre-release software, so remember to back up your projects or use version control systems like Git for added safety. Explore these exciting features now by downloading Godot 4.2 dev 6 from the official GitHub repository.

For a comprehensive list of changes and contributors, check out the interactive changelog.

Don't miss the opportunity to try the Web and Android editors for this release, and join our testing group for access to pre-release builds. Your feedback is invaluable as we approach the beta phase.

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Read the full release notes for a detailed list of changes and improvements in Godot 4.2 Dev Snapshot 6.