Jet Studio: open-source Godot-based game engine targets Arduino Nano ESP32 and STM32F746

Developer Fedyfausto has released Jet Studio, an open-source game development environment built as a Godot application with a C++ GDExtension. The tool enables creators to build 2D and 3D games that compile and run directly on commodity microcontrollers, specifically the Arduino Nano ESP32 and the STM32F746, using the widely available ILI9341 SPI LCD display. Performance benchmarks show a 2D shooter running at 62 FPS on the ESP32 and 83 FPS on the STM32 platform. The project includes demonstration projects such as a pseudo-3D Outrun-style racing game and a 3D physics simulation to showcase the engine's capabilities.

The editor mimics Godot's interface and workflow, lowering the barrier for developers already familiar with that ecosystem to target resource-constrained hardware. The engine's architecture separates the authoring environment from the runtime, with the GDExtension handling cross-compilation to microcontroller targets. All components appear to be open-source, though the source repository licensing was not specified in the original coverage.

Microcontroller targets and rendering architecture

• Supported hardware: Primary targets are the Arduino Nano ESP32 (Espressif ESP32-S3 with 8 MB PSRAM, 240 MHz dual-core Xtensa LX7) and the STM32F746 (ARM Cortex-M7 at 216 MHz with 320 KB SRAM, optional external SDRAM), both paired with the ILI9341 320x240 SPI TFT LCD.
• Engine architecture: Jet Studio is implemented as a Godot editor application with a C++ GDExtension that handles project export and runtime generation for bare-metal or RTOS-based microcontroller environments.
• Rendering capabilities: The engine supports both 2D and 3D output on the ILI9341 display, with demonstrated performance of 62 FPS for a 2D shooter on ESP32 and 83 FPS on STM32F746, suggesting efficient software rasterization or limited hardware acceleration.
• Demonstration content: Included demos comprise a 2D shooter, a partially-3D Outrun-style pseudo-3D racing game using scanline-based road rendering, and a 3D physics simulation, indicating support for basic rigid-body physics.
• Development workflow: Projects are authored within the familiar Godot editor interface, with the GDExtension managing the abstraction layer between high-level scene editing and low-level C/C++ microcontroller code generation.

Why it matters

Jet Studio fills a notable gap between high-level game engines and microcontroller development, potentially enabling a broader community of Godot-experienced developers to create embedded games and interactive installations without learning specialized embedded toolchains. For the open hardware community, the explicit targeting of common development boards and displays with a documented open-source toolchain reduces friction for educational projects and indie hardware products. The project's reliance on a GDExtension rather than a fork of Godot itself suggests easier maintenance and compatibility with upstream Godot releases.