Simple DirectMedia Layer

Simple DirectMedia Layer (SDL) is a <a href="/facts/Cross-platform/16zqdvNR">cross-platform</a> <a href="/facts/Software_development/UUfsAaYY">software development</a> <a href="/facts/Library_(computing)/xRzL3P7q">library</a> designed to provide a <a href="/facts/Hardware_abstraction_layer/9duTocz5">hardware abstraction layer</a> for computer <a href="/facts/Multimedia/PtJteq27">multimedia</a> <a href="/facts/Computer_hardware/8jSjsCNv">hardware components</a>. Software developers can use it to write high-performance <a href="/facts/Personal_computer_game/AEDr23gA">computer games</a> and other multimedia applications that can run on many <a href="/facts/Operating_system/8XTuvMh2">operating systems</a> such as <a href="/facts/AmigaOS/1E2k1fuN">AmigaOS</a>, <a href="/facts/Android_(operating_system)/nNyHb0xz">Android</a>, <a href="/facts/IOS/mK5cggH5">iOS</a>, <a href="/facts/Linux/9FvCKSTq">Linux</a>, <a href="/facts/MorphOS/xWSeUeWM">MorphOS</a>, <a href="/facts/MacOS/Y93vVpTm">macOS</a>, and <a href="/facts/Microsoft_Windows/bwhAhuSL">Windows</a>.
SDL manages <a href="/facts/Video_display/yX1Mypk0">video</a>, <a href="/facts/Computer_speakers/uYcpD257">audio</a>, <a href="/facts/Input_device/TXYLUkux">input devices</a>, <a href="/facts/Thread_(computing)/hh8WHyPd">threads</a>, <a href="/facts/Shared_object/xRzL3P7q">shared object</a> loading, <a href="/facts/Computer_networking/3w5RM99p">networking</a> and timers. For 3D graphics, it can handle an <a href="/facts/OpenGL/xQoMWePr">OpenGL</a>, <a href="/facts/Vulkan/e188Vdpc">Vulkan</a>, <a href="/facts/Metal_(API)/DIbAxKF6">Metal</a>, or <a href="/facts/Direct3D/WHJ6DTcv">Direct3D11</a> (older Direct3D version 9 is also supported) context. A common misconception is that SDL is a <a href="/facts/Game_engine/lojx7lTG">game engine</a>. However, the library is suited to building games directly, or is usable indirectly by engines built on top of it.
The library is internally written in <a href="/facts/C_(programming_language)/Ky2No763">C</a> and possibly, depending on the target platform, <a href="/facts/C%252B%252B/Et0F2qn9">C++</a> or <a href="/facts/Objective-C/5mM557BW">Objective-C</a>, and provides the <a href="/facts/Application_programming_interface/GMlN4vUr">application programming interface</a> in C, with bindings to other languages available. It is <a href="/facts/Free_and_open-source_software/1cHtjLCB">free and open-source software</a> subject to the requirements of the <a href="/facts/Zlib_License/lyoPpsHD">zlib License</a> since version 2.0, and with prior versions subject to the <a href="/facts/GNU_Lesser_General_Public_License/AXwkz9x3">GNU Lesser General Public License</a>. Under the zlib License, SDL 2.0 is freely available for <a href="/facts/Static_linking/CB39voVa">static linking</a> in <a href="/facts/Closed-source/9zcskxYL">closed-source</a> projects, unlike SDL 1.2, although it is possible for the user to override the statically linked library with one provided by them. SDL 2.0, released in 2013, was a major departure from previous versions, offering more opportunity for 3D hardware acceleration, but breaking backwards-compatibility; a wrapper library made to translate 1.2 calls to 2.0 was later made available.
SDL is extensively used in the industry in both large and small projects. By 2010, over 700 games, 180 applications, and 120 demos had been posted on the library website.
SDL supports <a href="/facts/Emscripten/QmwKMoh2">Emscripten</a> (i.e. programs that run on a web page).
SDL 3 was released, as a stable version, in January 2025. It has a migration guide, and Coccinelle tool support to help migrate to the new major version. SDL 3 has a new way to control the entry point of your program, and you can optionally control execution in a non-framework way.

Simple DirectMedia Layer open-in-new

Simple DirectMedia Layer