How to use OpenGL functions with SKGLView in MAUI

Question

How to use OpenGL functions with SKGLView in MAUI

Mr B 0

Does anyone know how to use OpenGL functions with SKGLView in MAUI?

I have a 3D graphics legacy project built with Visual Studio in C# that makes use of Xamarin Forms and OpenTK. It targets both Android and iOS but the recent introduction of a requirement for 16kb page size support by Google Play, coupled with the end of Xamarin support is now forcing me to find an alternative solution.

I'd be happy to move to MAUI (as recommended) but there doesn't seem to be a suitable OpenGL component available anywhere. I have experimented with the SkiaSharp SKGLView in MAUI, successfully using SKCanvas to draw 2D graphics.

However, I want to make use of the underlying OpenGL context (GL) to draw in 3D, so I can reuse my existing C# OpenGL code. Is it possible to bind this context to the window associated with SKGLView (or SKGLCanvas)? If it is, how do I do it? If not, does anyone have an alternative solution?

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Answer 1

Nancy Vo (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 1,985 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi @Mr B ,

Thank you for reaching out.

OpenGL is deprecated (base on this). Apple does not build new stuff on this and they may remove it in the future. This API can keep working for years so it does not mean your app will stop working now.

I recommend these below approach:

For Apple: Metal is Apple’s modern graphics API for GPU work on Apple platforms, so moving your iOS renderer to Metal is the future-facing path.
For Android: On Android, OpenGL ES is still supported, you can keep this to reduce rewrite effort. (Android OpenGL ES

While these links are non-Microsoft links, they are official Apple and Android documentations and are safe to visit.

Hope this helps. If you found my response helpful or informative, I would greatly appreciate it if you could follow this guidance provide feedback. Thank you.

Nancy Vo (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 1,985 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-18T02:30:10.0133333+00:00

Hi @Mr B ,

I have posted an answer. If you see this, please check it and let me know if there is anything else I can help with.

Your feedback and confirmation are very important; I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you.
Mr B 0 Reputation points

2026-03-18T07:23:15.8633333+00:00

Hi Nancy. Thank you very much for your response(s).

Could you please explain a little more about how I might use OpenGL ES in my above scenario? Do you have some example code showing how to use OpenGL ES with the SKGLView window (or any other window) in MAUI?

This is the information I really need.

Thank you.
Nancy Vo (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 1,985 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-19T10:18:17.3466667+00:00

Hi @Mr B ,

I would love to, but OpenGL ES does not belong to Microsoft, so I won't be able to provide a standard example. I recommend to refer to communities that specialize in this field. Thank you for your time.
Nancy Vo (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 1,985 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-03-24T02:47:20.4033333+00:00

Hi @Mr B ,

I wonder if there is any update on this post. If you have any question, feel free to reach out. I'm happy to support you.

Answer 2

Bruce (SqlWork.com) 83,666

Also OpenGL support is deprecated in IOS.

https://developer.apple.com/documentation/opengles

Mr B 0 Reputation points

2026-03-15T19:21:48.94+00:00

Thanks for that information Bruce. Does that mean my app will stop working on iOS, or just that there will be no further support from Apple going forward?
Mr B 0 Reputation points

2026-03-15T19:22:19.5066667+00:00

Thanks for that information Bruce. Does that mean my app will stop working on iOS, or just that there will be no further support from Apple going forward?
Bruce (SqlWork.com) 83,666 Reputation points

2026-03-18T15:34:57.39+00:00

It’s still currently works, but may be removed in a future version. It is not recommended for new code.

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How to use OpenGL functions with SKGLView in MAUI

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