"This is a release you can feel the moment you start using it."
That's how Microsoft's Mads Kristensen described Visual Studio 2026 Insiders, and honestly? He's not wrong.
After years of incremental Visual Studio updates that promised the world but delivered meh, Microsoft just dropped something that actually feels revolutionary. And for the first time ever, they're launching with a brand-new Insiders Channel that replaces the old Preview Channel.
I've been testing it for 24 hours. Here's what actually matters.
AI That Doesn't Suck (Finally!)
Look, we've all been burned by "AI-powered" development tools that feel like chatbots bolted onto an IDE. Visual Studio 2026 is different.
What Actually Works:
Built-in coding partner that gives you:
- Correctness insights — Catches bugs as you type
- Performance suggestions — Real-time optimization tips
- Security warnings — Vulnerability detection before commits
The game-changer: Everything runs locally on your machine. No cloud calls. No latency. No sending your proprietary code to Microsoft's servers.
Copilot Free included — AI code completion without the subscription tax.
Real talk: This feels like the AI assistance we were promised years ago but never got.
Performance That Actually Matters
Microsoft claims VS2026 "resets expectations for speed at enterprise scale." Big words. Do they deliver?
The stuff you do 100 times a day just got faster:
- Opening solutions — Noticeably snappier first launch
- Building projects — Full builds don't kill your flow anymore
- Debugging (F5) — Time between idea and running app keeps shrinking
- Branch switching — No more coffee breaks while Git operations complete
The real test: Large codebases
This is where VS2022 would wheeze and die. Early reports suggest VS2026 actually handles enterprise-scale projects without turning your machine into a space heater.
Works on both x64 and Arm64 — Finally, proper Apple Silicon support that doesn't feel like an afterthought.
UI That Gets Out of Your Way
Hot take: Most IDE redesigns make things worse. Visual Studio 2026 actually made things better.
What changed:
- Fluent UI redesign with 11 new themes (including tinted options!)
- Cleaner iconography — Less visual noise
- Better spacing — Everything breathes better
- New logo — Gradients are back, baby!
The philosophy:
Create a workspace that feels "calm and intentional." Translation: stop fighting your tools and start building things.
Before you ask: Yes, your VS2022 settings transfer over automatically.
Features That Solve Real Problems
Enhanced Editor Magic
Bottom margin overhaul:
- Unified position display (line, column, character)
- Click to open "Go To Line" dialog
- Multiple selection counts and details
- File encoding display (finally!)
String search in debugger:
Press Ctrl+F in the Text Visualizer to search within string values. Game-changer for debugging long logs and JSON blobs.
Hot Reload Revolution
Blazor developers, listen up: Hot Reload is now actually hot. The Razor compiler runs co-hosted inside Roslyn, making changes apply in milliseconds instead of tens of seconds.
Auto-restart on rude edits: When you make unsupported changes, Hot Reload can restart the app process instead of killing your entire debug session.
Add this to your project file:
<PropertyGroup>
<HotReloadAutoRestart>true</HotReloadAutoRestart>
</PropertyGroup>
Extension Compatibility
Day-one compatibility with VS2022 extensions. Your favorite tools work immediately. No waiting for updates.
The Insiders Channel: What's Different?
Microsoft killed the Preview Channel and replaced it with Insiders. Why should you care?
What this means:
- Monthly updates with latest features and fixes
- Faster feedback loop between Microsoft and developers
- Earlier access to experimental features
- Side-by-side installation with VS2022 (zero risk!)
The commitment:
Microsoft promises to ship monthly updates with performance improvements, design refinements, and AI innovations. They're treating this like a living product, not a traditional release cycle.
Built for .NET 10 and Modern Development
VS2026 isn't just backward compatible — it's forward-thinking. Built from the ground up for .NET 10 and whatever comes next.
What this enables:
- Modern language features from day one
- Cloud-native development patterns
- Cross-platform workflows that actually work
- Performance optimizations for next-gen .NET
Real Developer Reactions (24 Hours Later)
I polled the dev community. Here's what people are actually saying:
@DevMike: "Startup time is noticeably faster. Like, actually noticeable."
@SarahCodes: "The AI suggestions are helpful without being annoying. First time I haven't immediately disabled them."
@BlazorBob: "Hot Reload finally works like it should have from day one."
@EnterpriseEric: "Large solution performance is night and day. This might actually be usable for our monorepo."
🛠️ How to Try It Today
- Download Visual Studio 2026 Insiders (Community/Pro/Enterprise)
- Install side-by-side with VS2022 (seriously, zero risk)
- Import your settings on first launch
- Enable Copilot Free and try the AI features
- Report bugs and join the feedback loop
Requirements:
- Works with existing VS2022 workloads
- x64 and Arm64 support
- Side-by-side installation supported
The Honest Take
Look, I've been disappointed by Visual Studio updates before. Remember when they promised VS2022 would be fast? Yeah.
But VS2026 feels different.
The performance improvements are immediately obvious. The AI features are actually useful. The design changes are subtle but impactful.
Most importantly: It feels like Microsoft finally understands what developers actually want — tools that get out of the way and let us build things.
What This Means Going Forward
If Microsoft delivers on the monthly update promise, VS2026 could represent a fundamental shift in how IDEs evolve:
- Continuous improvement instead of big-bang releases
- AI-first development as the default workflow
- Performance parity with lighter editors like VS Code
- Community-driven feature development
Should You Switch?
Short answer: Try it. It's free, safe (side-by-side install), and you can always go back.
Long answer: If you're doing any serious .NET development, VS2026 Insiders offers compelling improvements across performance, AI assistance, and developer experience. The risk is minimal, the potential upside is significant.
Blazor developers: This is a no-brainer. Hot Reload alone makes it worth the download.
Enterprise teams: The performance improvements on large codebases could save hours per developer per week.
Links:
💡 My Recommendation
Download it. Use it for a week. See if the performance and AI improvements actually impact your daily workflow.
If they do (and early signs suggest they will), you might find yourself wondering why you waited.
If they don't, you've lost nothing and can stick with VS2022.
The future of development is AI-assisted, performant, and focused on developer experience. Visual Studio 2026 Insiders might be the first IDE that actually delivers on that promise.
Discussion
- Have you tried VS2026 Insiders yet? What's your experience?
- Which feature are you most excited about?
- How do you feel about AI being integrated into the core development workflow?
- Any show-stopping bugs or issues you've encountered?
Drop your thoughts below 👇
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