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Visual Studio Code Setup for Godot

Why Use Visual Studio Code?​

Visual Studio Code is a popular, lightweight, and extensible code editor. It works well with GDScript, C#, and integrates easily with version control systems like Git.

Installing Visual Studio Code​

Download and install VS Code from the official site:

https://code.visualstudio.com/download

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If you create or update a project in Godot Launcher with VS Code enabled, these extensions are automatically recommended when you open the project in VS Code. You don’t need to find them manually.

To improve your experience when working with Godot projects, the following extensions are recommended:

  • Godot Tools – Adds GDScript support and integration with the Godot editor.
  • C# (if you're using C# in your project)
  • GitLens – Enhances Git functionality within the editor.
  • Godot Theme – Provides syntax highlighting and a theme tailored for GDScript.
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If you use VS Code for other types of work besides game development, it is recommended to use profiles in VS Code. Profiles allow you to customize your editor settings, extensions, and configurations for different workflows, keeping your game development setup separate from other projects.

To install extensions manually, open the Extensions sidebar (Ctrl+Shift+X or Cmd+Shift+X on macOS) and search by name.

Enable VS Code from the Launcher​

Godot Launcher now exposes a project-level toggle so you can control VS Code integration at anytime, not only when creating it:

Godot Launcher Project Overflow Menu Open

  1. In the Projects list, open a project’s overflow menu (three dots).
  2. Turn on Use Visual Studio Code as Text Editor.

The launcher checks and confirm VS Code is available. If the toggle is disabled, visit Settings → Tools and click Rescan tools after installing or relocating VS Code.

When enabled, the launcher:

  • Updates the Godot editor settings to use vscode as external text editor.
  • Creates or merges .vscode/settings.json and launch.json (for .NET) without removing your custom keys.
  • Adds VSCode icon next to the project name.

Toggle the option off to stop using vscode as your external text editor for that project.

Setting Up Godot Integration​

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Godot Launcher automatically sets up the integration between the Godot editor and VS Code when you create a project with the "Use VS Code" option checked or enable the project toggle later. This includes configuring the Godot executable path in the Godot editor and setting up the necessary settings in VS Code.

If you prefer to set up the integration manually, you can follow the instructions provided by the Godot Tools extension:

  1. Open VS Code.
  2. Install the Godot Tools extension.
  3. Press Ctrl+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift+P on macOS to open the Command Palette.
  4. Search for Godot: Set Godot Executable Path and select it.
  5. Browse to the Godot executable you want to use.

    For projects created with Godot Launcher, it is recommended to use the path where the launcher opens the project from. You can find this path by going to the projects screen, clicking the "More" menu (the three vertical dots), selecting "Open Editor Settings Folder," and then navigating up one folder to locate the Godot engine binaries.

For more details on manual setup, refer to the documentation of the Godot Tools extension.

Launching VS Code from Godot​

If VS Code is set up correctly (which is done automatically when using the launcher), it will be used as the default editor for editing scripts (GDScript or C#). When you edit a script in the Godot editor, VS Code will automatically open as the editor.

Additionally, when running a scene from VS Code, it will automatically execute the scene if the Godot editor path is correctly configured.

Automatic Build and Launch Configuration for .NET​

When using the .NET version of Godot, the Godot Launcher will automatically add the necessary build and launch configurations to your VS Code project. This happens both when you create a project and whenever you change the editor version with the VS Code toggle enabled, ensuring you can build and debug your C# scripts seamlessly within VS Code without requiring additional setup.

These configurations include:

  • A build task to compile your C# scripts.
  • A launch configuration to run and debug your Godot project directly from VS Code.

You can find these configurations in the .vscode folder within your project directory. If you need to customize them, you can edit the tasks.json and launch.json files in that folder.