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SPECIFICTION
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Stride

stride3d.net

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Spec score 8.8 #13 of 92 in Game Engine Software

What it is

Stride is a free, open-source C# engine for building 2D and 3D games and interactive content on desktop and VR. Game Studio manages assets, scenes, sprites, interfaces and curves. The engine provides physics, navigation meshes, visual scripting, physically based materials, light probes, particles, post effects and customizable shaders, with DirectX 12 and Vulkan graphics APIs. C# 14, .NET 10, asynchronous scripting and hot reload are supported. Native Oculus and HTC Vive support includes VR previewing from the scene editor. Stride exports to Windows, Linux, Android and iOS, and is free to use, modify and distribute under the MIT license. Listed development requirements include Windows 10 or 11, an x64 CPU, a Direct3D 10-or-newer GPU, 4 GB RAM and 5 GB disk space. The project describes itself as community-driven, without full-time developers dedicated solely to its advancement.

Spec sheet

What it does
Stride is a free, open-source C# game engine for 2D and 3D games and interactive content on desktop and VR.Read 9 Oct 2026 · stride3d.net
Product
Stride is a free, open-source C# game engine for creating 2D and 3D games and other interactive content for desktop and VR.Read 9 Oct 2026 · stride3d.net
Intended users
The site describes Stride as suitable for indie and AAA developers and for making PC and VR games, training simulations, and architecture or engineering software.Read 9 Oct 2026 · stride3d.net
Platforms
Stride 4.4 says non-Windows platform support is no longer experimental and that projects can be built on Linux and macOS; the download FAQ lists Windows as supported and Android, iOS, Linux, and macOS as experimental.Read 9 Oct 2026 · doc.stride3d.net
Free plan
YesRead 24 Sep 2026 · stride3d.net
Integrations
The site lists Visual Studio, Visual Studio Code, and Rider as C# scripting environments for Stride.Read 9 Oct 2026 · stride3d.net
Support
Users can seek help through the Discord community, GitHub Discussions, and the documentation.Read 9 Oct 2026 · stride3d.net
License
Stride is free to use, modify, and distribute under the MIT license.Read 9 Oct 2026 · stride3d.net
Development requirements
The listed development requirements include Windows 10 or 11, an x64 CPU, a Direct3D 10 or newer compatible GPU, 4 GB RAM minimum, and 5 GB disk space.Read 9 Oct 2026 · doc.stride3d.net
Documentation
Stride provides its manual in English and Japanese, beginner introduction videos, and intermediate scripting tutorials on YouTube.Read 9 Oct 2026 · stride3d.net
Editor
Game Studio includes tools for creating and managing game assets, scenes, sprites, and user interfaces.Read 9 Oct 2026 · stride3d.net
Game Studio
The included Game Studio toolchain lets users create, manage, and modify game assets, with editors for scenes, UI, sprites, and curves.Read 9 Oct 2026 · stride3d.net
Graphics
Stride offers physically based materials, light probes, particles, post effects, customizable shaders, and graphics APIs including DirectX 12 and Vulkan.Read 9 Oct 2026 · stride3d.net
Mobile export
YesRead 24 Sep 2026 · stride3d.net
Physics and navigation
The engine includes physics and navigation mesh systems for collisions, events, and character pathfinding.Read 9 Oct 2026 · stride3d.net
Project model
Stride describes itself as a non-profit, community-driven project with no full-time developers dedicated solely to its advancement.Read 9 Oct 2026 · doc.stride3d.net
Scripting
Stride supports C# 14 and .NET 10, asynchronous scripting, and hot reload for scripts and shaders.Read 9 Oct 2026 · stride3d.net
Scripting languages
C#Read 24 Sep 2026 · stride3d.net
Source code model
open_sourceRead 24 Sep 2026 · stride3d.net
Target platforms
Windows is currently supported; Android, iOS, Linux, and macOS are listed as experimental, and the engine supports most popular VR devices.Read 9 Oct 2026 · stride3d.net
Visual scripting
YesRead 24 Sep 2026 · stride3d.net
VR
Stride has native support for Oculus and HTC Vive and includes tools for previewing VR from the scene editor.Read 9 Oct 2026 · stride3d.net

Plans and prices

Stride Game Engine Free Free to use, modify, and distribute under the MIT license Read 9 Oct 2026 · stride3d.net

Every Stride plan and price →

Strong points and limits

Strong points

  • Free MIT-licensed open-source engine
  • Supports 2D, 3D, desktop, mobile and VR
  • Includes visual scripting, physics and navigation meshes
  • Native Oculus and HTC Vive support
  • Hot reload for scripts and shaders

Limits

  • Development requirements specify Windows 10 or 11
  • No multiplayer tools are listed
  • Project has no full-time dedicated developers

Who it suits

Stride suits developers making desktop, mobile or VR games, training simulations and architecture or engineering software. It is aimed at both indie and AAA developers using C#.

Verdict

Stride offers a broad C# toolchain with desktop, mobile and VR export under the MIT license. Its Windows-based development requirements and community-led project model are important planning considerations.

Where Specifiction places it

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