Readd GLES 2 support in Godot 4.x

[ahmutkadim]

Godot version

4.0.3

System information

macOS 13

Issue description

I am currently using Godot 4 and still Gless 2 renderer is not implemented. I followed through all development builds but none of them included such future to my knowledge. I think this renderer is very important since Apple only supports that in their mobile devices so it is crucial for web games. When will it came?

Steps to reproduce

Export the project as a web build and try to run it on IOS

Minimal reproduction project

None

[mrjustaguy]

GLES 2 isn't officially planned in 4.0. see https://godotengine.org/article/about-godot4-vulkan-gles3-and-gles2/

[AThousandShips]

Apple only supports that [GLES 2] in their mobile devices

Can you provide a source for this? Afik they've deprecated support of GLES on iOS

[clayjohn]

iOS supports OpenGL ES 3.0 https://developer.apple.com/documentation/opengles

What iOS doesn't yet support is WebGL2 which is needed to run Godot 4 on the web. iOS only supports WebGL which corresponds to OpenGL ES 2.0.

[ahmutkadim]

I may have phrased my problem wrong. Yes OpenGL might be supported in new versions in IOS but it still does not help. Apple might support different rendering techniques as well but still my testings indicate that my Godot games made in Godot 4 cannot be opened in any IOS device. I have tried various IOS devices but it does not work. However in mobile Godot 3 worked since I was using Gless 2. What may I do now ?

[AThousandShips]

Any reason you have to export for web and not directly for iOS? Please make it more clear in the issue report that this is specifically for the web and not related to exporting for iOS

[ahmutkadim]

It is costly and hard to publish an app on App Store and I prefer publishing my games on web since it is more accessible for all users. But this rendering problem hinders such accessibility.

[AThousandShips]

That's understandable, but unfortunately this is a limitation on the side of Apple, and as the article above on the reasons for this says there's a lot of reasons for this decision, and the prospects for future support

[ahmutkadim]

Okay I understand.

[ChronoDK]

iOS supports OpenGL ES 3.0 https://developer.apple.com/documentation/opengles

What iOS doesn't yet support is WebGL2 which is needed to run Godot 4 on the web. iOS only supports WebGL which corresponds to OpenGL ES 2.0.

iOS does support WebGL2, and has had it enabled per default since version 15. There is some issue with Godot 4.x currently, that prevents it from running.

This is the error I get:

[AlexBowring]

The response to this issue speaks volumes. Obviously people are going to be using the Godot engine to make games that they want to be accessible to everyone. If, because of the renderer Godot is using, those games can't be played on apple devices (the biggest company in the world), then surely its in Godot's best interest to themselves as well as their users to provide a solution to ensure the games are accessible on apple devices, rather then say its a problem of Apples. This sort of thing is a real put off, and its even more frustrating that this problem didn't exist in a previous Godot version but does exist in a newer version.