Microsoft Events presents an in-depth overview of Visual Studio 2026, detailing AI-powered innovations including GitHub Copilot and Profiler Agent integration, and developer-centric features for high-impact coding.

Visual Studio 2026: Fast, Modern, and AI-Powered

Introduction

This Microsoft Ignite 2025 session, led by Jon Galloway, showcases new advancements in Visual Studio 2026.

Key Highlights

AI-Powered IDE: Visual Studio 2026 integrates agentic AI, enhancing developer workflows with features like code review, guided diagnostics, and intelligent recommendations.
GitHub Copilot Integration: Copilot offers smarter code reviews and assists with coding tasks, improving productivity and code quality.
Profiler Agent: This tool provides automated performance recommendations and measurable improvements, such as 16% faster project loading.
Personalization and Modern UI: Developers get more theme options, customization settings, and a refreshed interface for improved user experience.
Project Insights: Native integration with Microsoft Learn and NuGet delivers deeper insights and recommendations directly within the IDE.
Collaboration Tools: The session demonstrates new ways for teams to edit, upgrade, and collaborate on projects, including a dashboard for tracking modernization.
Update Cycle: Visual Studio shifts to a monthly update cadence, making continuous improvements and new features available more frequently.

Chapters Overview

Introduction and session overview
Positioning Visual Studio 2026 as the premier IDE
Personalization and new settings experience
MCP-integrated tools for project insights
Automated performance improvements
Profiling tools also in Visual Studio Code
Modernization and upgrade processes
Dashboard and collaboration
Update cycle and distribution channels

Additional Resources

Speaker

Jon Galloway

Conclusion

Visual Studio 2026 brings modern design, AI-powered assistance, and stronger collaboration into the development environment, supporting faster and more efficient application delivery.