For me, this year's BUILD was all about sharing a vision for how the end-to-end developer experience will evolve in the coming years. Naturally, AI was at the center of this discussion, but at its core, we are exploring the tools developers need to not only harness AI but also create even better tools with it in the near future. Jay Parikh, our new EVP of Core AI, shared news focusing on the vital role developers play in helping enterprises successfully embrace AI and digital transformation. One of our key tenets that I was personally pleased to hear articulated is the embrace of openness and choice, recognizing the rapid pace at which this space is evolving.
My aim was simple: to highlight key developer updates from Build 2025, including the latest advancements in Visual Studio, VS Code, .NET, and Microsoft Dev Box, as well as must-watch sessions covering AI, development efficiency, and performance optimization. Enjoy!
Visual Studio
- Visual Studio 2022 17.14 now generally available
- Agent Mode has arrived in preview for Visual Studio
VS Code
- Beyond the tool, adding MCP in VS Code
- VS Code for the Web - A zero-install, browser-based development environment that enables you to run, debug, and deploy applications to Azure
.NET
- .NET ships new GA and preview functionality at Build 2025
- Seamlessly upgrade and modernize .NET & Java codebases with GitHub Copilot (or Accelerate Your .NET Upgrades with GitHub Copilot)
- .NET Aspire 9.3 is here and enhanced with GitHub Copilot
- Official C# MCP SDK - Available in Preview
Microsoft Dev Box
Favorite Sessions
- Elevating Development with .NET Aspire: AI, Cloud, and Beyond
- How developers are using AI in the real world
- Tips & tricks to enhance Windows Arm64 App performance
- Debug Like a Pro: Improve Your Efficiency with Visual Studio & Copilot
- Top GitHub Copilot features you missed in Visual Studio 2022
- Yet "Another Highly Technical Talk" with Hanselman and Toub
- Scott and Mark Learn to...LIVE
