MonoGame

MonoGame is a free and open source software framework for developing video games in C#. It began as a way to bring existing XNA-based Windows and Windows Phone games to platforms Microsoft did not officially support, and is now also used to build new games from scratch. It supports desktop platforms (Windows, macOS and Linux), mobile platforms (Android, iOS and iPadOS) and, for developers authorized by the platform holders, the PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. It implements the Microsoft XNA 4 application programming interface (API). Games built with MonoGame include Bastion, Celeste, Barotrauma, Fez, and Stardew Valley. MonoGame originated in December 2009 as a port of XNA to the iPhone, and was renamed and moved to GitHub in 2011. After Microsoft ended development of XNA in 2013, MonoGame continued as an independent open-source project, later adding 3D rendering and support for consoles including PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, and Nintendo Switch. Since September 2023, the project has been owned and stewarded by the MonoGame Foundation, a US-based non-profit organization that funds development through individual and corporate donations rather than subscription fees, royalties, or licensing costs. The framework's source code is distributed under the Microsoft Public License, with the exception of a few portions of the code. MonoGame's long-established targets render graphics using DirectX on Windows and OpenGL elsewhere. Version 3.8.5, released in July 2026 after a public preview that began in late 2025, added a new native backend and two targets built on the newer Vulkan and DirectX 12 graphics APIs. Because MonoGame is an independent reimplementation of the XNA API rather than a copy of Microsoft's original source code, and because it has extended and modified that API over time rather than reproducing it exactly,...