Microsoft is intensifying its commitment to developers with a series of innovative enhancements unveiled at Build 2026. The tech giant aims to not only retain its existing developer base but also entice those from other platforms to transition to Windows 11. Pavan Davuluri, Microsoft’s vice president, emphasized the importance of understanding developer needs, stating that the feedback received over the past year has been instrumental in shaping the announcements made during the event.
New Developer Experiences
Among the key offerings introduced are:
- Windows Developer Configuration: This new feature, powered by the Windows Package Manager (winget), allows developers to create a distraction-free environment tailored for software development. Similar to Xbox Mode, it optimizes configurations for tools such as Visual Studio Code, GitHub Copilot, and the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL). This feature is now generally available.
- Windows Developer Skills: Developers can now utilize the WinApp CLI with AI agents to create native Windows applications, a feature that is also generally available.
- Terminal Improvements: An experimental preview of a new Intelligent Terminal mode has been introduced, which divides the display into two panes—one for the traditional Terminal CLI and another for an AI agent task pane.
- Enhanced Linux Capabilities: The Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) is set to support containers using familiar APIs and command line interfaces in public preview. Additionally, native support for Coreutils, encompassing over 75 familiar Linux command line tools, is now generally available on Windows 11.
- Agentic Capabilities: The Microsoft Execution Containers (MXC) SDK is currently in early preview, allowing developers to specify the resources accessible to an agent. Integration with Agent 365 ensures that agents operating on Windows are secured with Defender, Entra, Intune, and Purview protections. Furthermore, OpenClaw can now run natively on Windows through MXC, alongside Nvidia’s OpenShell integration.
- On-device AI: Microsoft has introduced Aion 1.0 Instruct, a new on-device model designed for smaller, faster, and smarter local AI tasks. Additionally, Aion 1.0 Plan enables reasoning and tool-calling capabilities entirely on-device. Developers can begin experimenting with Aion 1.0 Instruct in preview through Edge Insider channels, with an open-source model expected to be available on Hugging Face in July. The expansion of Windows AI APIs will also include speech-to-text recognition, local text-intelligence capabilities, and Video Super Resolution.
- Surface RTX Dev Box: This desk-based datacenter, focused on AI capabilities, is set to launch later this year.
As Build 2026 unfolds, Davuluri reflects on the evolution of development, reiterating Microsoft’s commitment to providing a flexible platform that empowers developers to choose their tools and shape their workflows. The overarching goal remains clear: to make Windows the premier environment for building applications, deploying AI models, and experimenting with innovative technologies, both now and in the future.
