Android Game Development Kit

AGDK icon

The Android Game Development Kit (AGDK) is a set of tools and libraries that help you develop and optimize Android games while integrating with existing game development platforms and workflows.

Use, develop, or extend game engines

AGDK provides tools and libraries for adding Android support when you create or extend a game engine. It also provides plugins and integration that supports Android development on many existing game engines.

Develop in Visual Studio

You can build Android games in Visual Studio on Windows by using the Android Game Development Extension for Visual Studio (AGDE). AGDE is a Visual Studio extension that allows you to use your existing Visual Studio projects to build Android games.

Libraries

The AGDK libraries allow you to develop and optimize your game in C or C++ while accessing Android app development libraries and services.

Frame Pacing

Helps games deliver frames at a consistent pace, and adjusts the pace based on the performance.
Reference  User Guide

Game Activity

Supports game development in C or C++ with access to Android Jetpack and dependent services.
Reference  User Guide

Game Controller

Manages game controllers by accessing connections, features, device information, and input data.
Reference  User Guide

Game Text Input

Displays and hides the soft keyboard, and manages text updates.
Reference  User Guide

Memory Advice API (Beta)

Helps Android apps stay within safety limits for memory use by estimating memory use and notifying apps if thresholds are exceeded.
Reference  User Guide

Oboe High-performance audio

Reduces audio latency, while avoiding device and platform audio issues.
Reference  User Guide

Android Performance Tuner

Identifies performance issues related to quality settings, scenes, load times, and device models.
Reference  User Guide

Android Performance Tuner Unity plugin

Integrates Android Performance Tuner with Unity.
Reference  User Guide

Library wrapper (Beta)

Generate C/C++ code to access JAR libraries from your native app. This tool provides a lightweight interface for accessing Java code without needing to write, debug, and maintain your own JNI.

User Guide

Optimization

In addition to Android Performance Tuner, AGDK includes the Android GPU Inspector (AGI), which is a tool that provides advanced GPU and system profiling for graphic intensive games.

For a complete list of Android game optimization tools and best practices, see the optimization overview.

Adaptability

Adaptability is a new pillar of the AGDK focused on helping your game understand, respond to, and influence changes in the devices thermal and performance state.

CPU performance hints

Enables your game to influence dynamic CPU performance behavior without overheating the device and wasting power.

User Guide

Thermal-state monitoring

Achieve performance goals by understanding the thermal state and limitations of a device.

User Guide

Game Mode

Optimize gameplay by prioritizing characteristics, such as performance or battery life, based on user preferences.

User Guide

Game Manager API

Update the game mode of your app, enabling Android OS to adjust to meet your performance needs.

Reference