Godot 4.8 Beta Comes to Xogot
This is an important milestone for Xogot. We can now make upcoming Godot releases available much earlier in their development cycle, without requiring developers to replace the versions they're using for existing projects.
Bringing New Godot Releases to Xogot Sooner
Since launching Xogot, we've generally waited until a new version of Godot was officially released and had time to stabilize before bringing it to the App Store.
This has been a deliberate trade-off. Unlike desktop Godot, where developers can install different versions of the engine and easily roll back to prior releases, the App Store doesn't offer a practical way to do the same. We've prioritized stability and compatibility, even when that meant waiting longer to adopt the latest Godot features.
What has changed is our ability to integrate and stabilize new Godot releases much earlier, thanks in large part to Xogot for Mac.
With the introduction of side-by-side installations in Xogot for Mac Beta 4, developers can keep their existing projects on Godot 4.7 while experimenting with newer versions of the engine. This also gives us a much faster way to test and stabilize new Godot releases before bringing them to iPad and iPhone.
On iPad and iPhone, we've already been using two TestFlight channels: our regular Xogot TestFlight for updates approaching App Store release, and XogotBeta for earlier, more experimental builds. With new engine versions stabilizing faster on Mac, we can now bring them to these existing channels much earlier in their development cycle.
This lets developers try new Godot releases sooner, helps us identify compatibility issues earlier, and gives us greater confidence in bringing major engine updates to the App Store.
What's New in Godot 4.8?
Godot 4.8 brings improvements across rendering, 3D development, game interfaces, physics, and engine performance. Here are some highlights that Xogot developers can start exploring.
Trail3D
The new Trail3D node makes it easy to create motion trails in 3D games without building custom geometry or shaders.
Whether you're creating sword swings, projectile trails, magical effects, or fast-moving objects, Trail3D provides a built-in way to generate and customize trails as objects move through your scene.
Trail3D
Automatic Font Sizing
Godot 4.8 introduces automatic font sizing for Label and RichTextLabel nodes.
Text can now automatically resize to fit its available space, with configurable minimum and maximum font sizes. This is particularly useful when building interfaces that need to work across different screen sizes, or when supporting localization and text of varying lengths.
Auto Font Size
Animated Decals
Godot 4.8 also adds support for animated decals, allowing textures projected onto 3D surfaces to change over time. This opens up new possibilities for animated signs, glowing symbols, environmental effects, and more.
Animated decals using DrawableTexture2D
Rendering and Performance Improvements
Godot 4.8 also brings improvements to rendering and performance. Baked directional lighting can now produce more realistic specular highlights, while new mip-level texture streaming can reduce texture memory usage in large 3D scenes.
Under the hood, engine optimizations reduce memory usage and accelerate object property access. New physics query APIs allow developers to reuse result objects, avoiding unnecessary allocations.
Godot's built-in UI controls also receive improved touch support, including more natural text selection, scrolling, and menu interactions.
These improvements are particularly welcome for developers targeting memory-constrained devices like iPhone and iPad.
These are just a few of the improvements in this release. You can read the official Godot 4.8 beta announcement for the full overview.
Try Godot 4.8 in Xogot Today
On iPad and iPhone, request access to XogotBeta TestFlight to try the latest Godot 4.8-based builds. XogotBeta is a separate app, so you can continue using the App Store version of Xogot alongside it.
On Mac, you can install the Godot 4.8-based build of Xogot alongside your existing installation. From the Xogot menu in the Mac menu bar, open Versions, switch to the Testing update channel, and install the Godot 4.8-based build. If you haven't already installed Xogot for Mac, you can download it here.
Godot 4.8 is still a beta release. We recommend testing with a copy of your project or committing your work to version control before opening it with the new engine.
If you run into issues or discover anything that behaves differently from Godot 4.7, please let us know. Your feedback will help us get Godot 4.8 ready for broader release.
