Microsoft has introduced the first preview of Visual Studio 2022, marking a major shift for the popular IDE with its transition to 64-bit architecture. This change, which follows an announcement made in April, aims to significantly enhance the scalability of Visual Studio, allowing it to handle larger workloads and more complex projects. With the move to 64-bit, every aspect of the IDE has been reworked, making this preview release one of the most substantial updates to Visual Studio in recent years.
The Visual Studio 2022 Preview, launched on June 17, is available for download from the Visual Studio website. Microsoft has provided clear instructions for users to report any issues they encounter during testing. The preview version can be installed alongside previous versions of Visual Studio, allowing developers to explore the new features without disrupting their existing environments. It is offered in three different editions: Enterprise, Professional, and Community, catering to a wide range of users from individual developers to large teams.
While the primary focus of the first preview is on 64-bit support, Microsoft is planning a series of enhancements for future updates. Preview 2 is expected to introduce a host of improvements aimed at boosting performance and streamlining the development process. Key areas of focus will include improving collaboration among teams, enhancing diagnostics tools, and providing better code assistance. The user interface will also receive updates, allowing developers to personalize their workspace more effectively.
The first preview of Visual Studio 2022 also brings exciting new features, including an updated version of IntelliCode, Visual Studio’s AI-powered tool for code completion. With this update, IntelliCode will be able to auto-complete entire lines of code, making the development process faster and more efficient. Additionally, cross-platform development is enhanced with the integration of C# and the .NET MAUI (Multi-platform App UI) framework, allowing developers to build applications across different platforms. Alongside this, Preview 5 of .NET MAUI was released, bringing new features like animations, view transformations, and improved single-project templates, further expanding the possibilities for cross-platform development.