Exporting for PCΒΆ

The simplest way to distribute a game for PC is to copy the executables (godot.exe on Windows, godot on the rest), compress the folder and send it to someone else. However, this is often not desired.

Godot offers a more elegant approach for PC distribution when using the export system. When exporting for PC (Linux, Windows, macOS), the exporter takes all the project files and creates a data.pck file. This file is bundled with a specially optimized binary that is smaller, faster and does not contain the editor and debugger.

Warning

If you export for Windows with embedded PCK files, you will not be able to sign the program as it will break.

On Windows, PCK embedding is also known to cause false positives in antivirus programs. Therefore, it's recommended to avoid using it unless you're distributing your project via Steam as it bypasses code signing and antivirus checks.