Your Browser Lives in VS Code Now | LIVE154
Justin Chen and Burke Holland demonstrate VS Code’s integrated browser and how it fits into a real development workflow.
Overview
The session shows how the VS Code integrated browser goes beyond a simple preview pane by keeping common web app tasks inside the editor:
- Open and use an integrated browser directly in VS Code
- Share browser tabs as context for agents
- Read page content and interact with page elements from within the editor
- Inspect elements via chat-based interactions
- Use Chrome DevTools features (including an emulation toolbar) inside VS Code
- Run Playwright scripts for browser automation and testing
- Validate changes in real time while developing
- Debug with breakpoints without switching out of VS Code
Resources
Session context
- Event: Microsoft Build 2026
- Speakers: Justin Chen, Burke Holland
- Demo context mentioned in the session description/chapters: a Pokémon demo app used to illustrate the workflow
Chapter markers (from the video description)
- 0:00 - Introduction and Welcome at Build Conference
- 00:00:13 - Introduction of Justin from VS Code Team
- 00:00:25 - Overview of the Integrated Browser in VS Code
- 00:01:09 - Purpose: Simplifying Local Development Within VS Code
- 00:01:54 - Demonstration: Opening and Using the Integrated Browser
- 00:02:33 - Pokémon Demo App Example in VS Code
- 00:03:09 - Using Chat Integration to Inspect Page Elements
- 00:05:00 - Chrome DevTools and Emulation Toolbar inside VS Code
- 00:05:51 - Agent Integration and Browser Automation
- 00:09:00 - Playwright Integration, Automated Testing, and Closing Remarks