Mads Kristensen introduces Visual Studio 2026, highlighting a leap in performance, a fresh UI, and the integration of powerful AI features—like native GitHub Copilot support—for developers.

Visual Studio 2026: Faster Performance and AI-Driven Developer Tools Now Available

Visual Studio 2026 has officially been released, marking a significant milestone based on extensive developer feedback and usage. This latest version focuses on delivering a faster, smarter, and more productive experience for developers working across .NET, C#, C++, and more.

Key Highlights

  • Performance Upgrades: Visual Studio 2026 boasts blazing-fast startup times, significantly reduced UI hangs (over 50% lower than VS 2022), and an overall more responsive interface—even when working with large, enterprise-scale solutions.
  • Redesigned User Experience: Enjoy a modernized user interface, improved workflows, more flexible settings, and hundreds of refinements targeting daily developer pain points.
  • AI-Native IDE: Visual Studio 2026 is billed as the “world’s first Intelligent Developer Environment.” AI features are deeply woven into the coding workflow, offering:
    • Integrated debugging and profiling insights
    • Frictionless AI-powered suggestions
    • Seamless integration with GitHub Copilot, now one of the most used features in Visual Studio
    • C# and C++ AI agents to assist with code comprehension and productivity without taking control away from the developer
  • Extension Compatibility and Upgrade Ease: All extensions compatible with Visual Studio 2022 continue to work in VS 2026, ensuring a smooth upgrade with immediate access to familiar tools and workflows.
  • Automatic Monthly Updates: The IDE now supports automatic feature and productivity updates, decoupled from critical build toolchains like .NET and C++, allowing developers to stay up-to-date without disrupting toolchain stability.
  • Insiders Channel: Developers can experiment with preview features through the Insiders Channel, installing it side-by-side with the stable release.

Improved AI and GitHub Copilot Integration

With this release, GitHub Copilot is tightly integrated into Visual Studio 2026, assisting with code generation, modernization, and even providing new C++ capabilities. Copilot helps accelerate adoption of new features and boosts productivity for developers across languages.

Productivity and Workflow Enhancements

  • Fixes for over 5,000 reported bugs and implementation of 300+ feature requests
  • Enhanced support for Mermaid diagrams and modern designing tools
  • Compatibility with existing projects and extensions with zero friction

Getting Started

Download Visual Studio 2026 directly from the official site. Subscribers can activate their licenses simply by signing in. Stand-alone Professional licenses become available via the Microsoft Store on December 1, 2025. Developers are encouraged to join the Insiders Channel for early feature access and give feedback to help shape ongoing improvements.

For additional details on features and improvements, visit the release notes.

Acknowledgments

Thanks go out to the developer community, MVPs, and Insiders Channel users who shaped Visual Studio 2026. The Visual Studio team remains committed to delivering tools that empower developers to focus on what matters: building and shipping great software.

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