libsdl-org / SDL

git clone https://github.com/libsdl-org/SDL.git release-3.4.18 · 19d ago 🔥 on GitHub Trending today

Cross-platform C library for low-level access to graphics, input, audio, and windowing, used to build games and multimedia software.

Why you might care

Gives one API for windows, input, audio, and 2D/3D rendering across desktop, mobile, and consoles-adjacent platforms, so game and emulator code stays portable. Zlib-licensed, so it is permissive for commercial use.

Alternatives

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17k

★ total · +0% this week

3.1k

forks · 897 open issues

Star history (as recorded here)

2026-10-20 · 16,840 ★ 2026-10-22 · 16,846 ★

LanguageC

LicenseZlib

Created2021-01-15 (5y ago)

Last pushtoday

Watchers151

OwnerOrganization

Seen on GitHub Trending

2026-10-22 — #13 monthly in c · +254 ★
2026-10-21 — #12 monthly in c · +261 ★
2026-10-20 — #12 monthly in c · +264 ★

GitHub topics

sdl sdl2 sdl3

Links

GitHub: github.com/libsdl-org/SDL
Homepage: https://libsdl.org
Releases · Issues · Hacker News mentions

README excerpt

Simple DirectMedia Layer (SDL for short) is a cross-platform library
designed to make it easy to write multi-media software, such as games
and emulators.
You can find the latest release and additional information at:
https://www.libsdl.org/
Installation instructions and a quick introduction is available in
INSTALL.md
This library is distributed under the terms of the zlib license,
available in LICENSE.txt.
Enjoy!
Sam Lantinga (slouken@libsdl.org)

Blurb generated by claude-haiku-5-5 1d ago. Star deltas marked ~ are extrapolated from partial history.