Skip to main content

Microsoft is prepping a version of Visual Studio for MacOS

macbook pro oled strip name trademark
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Microsoft wants to make it as easy as possible for developers to create Windows software — whether they happen to work on a PC or otherwise. To that end, the company has announced plans to bring its Visual Studio coding environment to MacOS for the first time ever.

Visual Studio is a coding environment that can be used to create software for Windows, as well as services and apps for the web. The decision to offer the program to Mac users demonstrates a major change of course for Microsoft, as the company has previously seemed eager to keep developers chained to their PC.

Recommended Videos

Indeed, it seems that Microsoft may have intended to wait a little longer before sharing the news that Visual Studio will soon be available on MacOS. A blog post making the announcement briefly went live on the MSDN Magazine Blog before being deleted, according to a report from The Verge.

While the software’s user interface has been inspired by the Windows version, the post notes that the new release will “feel like a native citizen of MacOS.” It also confirms that Visual Studio Code, the slimmed-down version of the software intended for straightforward code editing, will be making the jump to Apple hardware.

The MacOS version of Visual Studio will be based on Xamarin Studio, which Microsoft acquired earlier this year.

This is not the only move Microsoft has made to bring Windows closer to other operating systems in recent months. In March, the company unveiled plans to bring the Bash shell to Windows 10, working in collaboration with the company responsible for Ubuntu.

Visual Studio for Mac will seemingly be announced at Microsoft’s Connect 2016 event, which takes place from November 16 to 18 in New York City. Based on the leaked blog post, a preview build is set to be made available following the announcement.

Brad Jones
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Brad is an English-born writer currently splitting his time between Edinburgh and Pennsylvania. You can find him on Twitter…
I finally tried Apple Intelligence in macOS Sequoia to see if it lived up to the hype
The redeisgned Siri user interface in macOS Sequoia.

For the last few years, Apple’s macOS releases have been interesting, if not particularly exciting. But that’s all set to change this year with the launch of macOS Sequoia, and it’s all thanks to one feature: Apple Intelligence.

Apple’s artificial intelligence (AI) platform has the potential to completely change how you use your Mac on a daily basis. From generating images, rewriting emails, and summarizing your audio recordings to revamping Siri into a much more capable virtual assistant, Apple Intelligence could be the most significant new macOS feature in years.

Read more
People are arguing about this classic macOS feature, and it’s hilarious
A man sitting at a desk in front of an M1 iMac. Behind him is a large glass window and a set of shelves holding books, plants and ornaments.

Moving from Windows to Mac can be confusing. Long ago, I was a lifelong Windows user before I tried my first Mac, and many of the changes were jarring and confusing. It’s often not the biggest differences that give you pause, either -- it’s the hundreds of tiny discrepancies that are just dissimilar enough to befuddle the heck out of you.

For me, one of the most perplexing changes was how much working with apps in macOS differed from Windows. “You mean I don’t need a wizard to uninstall an app?” I thought. “I can just move it to the Trash? Won't that … break something?”

Read more
I’ve been using the first macOS Sequoia public beta. Here’s my take on it so far
The iPhone Mirroring feature from macOS Sequoia being demonstrated at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024.

Apple today launched the macOS Sequoia public beta, opening the doors to app developers, bug hunters, and curious users alike. With the full release not expected until much later this year, it’s a good opportunity to get a sneak peek at what Apple has in store for us.

Or at least, a sneak peek at most of what’s planned. Despite being packed with features, macOS Sequoia is missing the headline-grabbing Apple Intelligence feature, at least for the time being. Without that, is it still worth downloading and installing the public beta?

Read more