Microsoft has released a new version of source-code editor Visual Studio Code that runs natively on Apple Silicon Macs like the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini models with Apple M1 chips.

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: Microsoft has released a new version of source-code editor Visual Studio Code that runs natively on Apple Silicon Macs like the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac mini models with Apple M1 chips.

Microsoft Visual Studio Code now officially supports Apple's new silicon. The update brings improved performance and better battery life when using the app because it no longer has to run through. Microsoft's long-standing app development software, Visual Studio Code, has now been released a native M1 version that no longer requires Apple's Rosetta 2 to run. 'We are happy to announce our first release of stable Apple Silicon builds with this iteration,' says Microsoft in a blog post about Visual Studio Code 1.54.1. Microsoft has confirmed that a version of Visual Studio Code for Apple silicon is coming. A version should be available to Insiders this month. Apple announced its first three M1-powered Macs yesterday and now Microsoft has confirmed that it's working on a new version of its Visual Studio Code app that is specifically designed for Apple silicon.

The change came in Visual Studio Code 1.54 (now 1.54.1, thanks to a bug fix update), which is available as a universal 64-bit binary, as is standard for apps with Apple Silicon support. That said, Microsoft also offers downloads for x86-64 and Arm64 versions specifically, if desired.

There are no differences in features between the two versions, of course. And the non-Apple Silicon version worked just fine on M1 Macs previously via Rosetta, but Microsoft says M1 users can expect a few optimizations with the new binaries:

We are happy to announce our first release of stable Apple Silicon builds this iteration. Users on Macs with M1 chips can now use VS Code without emulation with Rosetta, and will notice better performance and longer battery life when running VS Code. Thanks to the community for self-hosting with the Insiders build and reporting issues early in the iteration.

Other key features in Visual Studio Code 1.54 include the ability to retain terminal processes on window reload, performance improvements in the Windows version, product icon themes, improvements when viewing Git history timeline entries, and various accessibility improvements.

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This is the latest in a slow march of productivity and power user apps that have launched native Apple Silicon versions, such as Adobe Photoshop. But many popular apps are still not native, including Visual Studio Code’s IDE sibling Visual Studio 2019 for Mac.

However, native Apple Silicon support is expected to come to Visual Studio 2019 for Mac with .NET 6, which is expected to ship in November. The first .NET 6 preview was distributed last month.

Many makers of development and creative production software have committed to releasing Apple Silicon versions of apps, including Adobe and Unity. But others, like Autodesk, haven’t made much noise about Apple Silicon support yet.

Apple is expected to shift its entire Mac lineup to the new architecture by the end of 2022. Reports citing people familiar with Apple’s plans have indicated that more Apple Silicon-based MacBook Pros are coming this year, as well as significant redesigns for both the iMac and MacBook Air, which will also have Apple Silicon chips.

M1 Mac owners will see better performance and battery life when using the updated Visual Studio Code.

Visual Studio Code Apple M1 Pro

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What you need to know

• Microsoft Visual Studio Code now supports Apple new silicon.
• The support for Apple's Silicon means that the app doesn't have to run through emulation.
• As a result, the app should perform better and use less power.

Microsoft Visual Studio Code now officially supports Apple's new silicon. The update brings improved performance and better battery life when using the app because it no longer has to run through emulation.

The update brings Visual Studio Code to version 1.54. The post announcing the update is titled 'February 2021,' but the update actually came out yesterday (via iMore).

Visual Studio Code Apple Silicon

With support for Apple's new silicon, owners of the M1 versions of the MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, and Mac mini will see the benefits of a native app. Those are three of the best Macs you can buy, and future Mac devices will also run on Apple's silicon.

Microsoft said in its post announcing the update:

We are happy to announce our first release of stable Apple Silicon builds this iteration. Users on Macs with M1 chips can now use VS Code without emulation with Rosetta and will notice better performance and longer battery life when running VS Code. Thanks to the community for self-hosting with the Insiders build and reporting issues early in the iteration.

The default download of VS Code for macOS is now a Universal build that runs natively on all Macs. On the Downloads page, you can find more links to architecture-specific builds for Intel or Apple Silicon, which are smaller downloads compared to the Universal package.

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The update is a universal one, which means that there is one version of the app that will work on Macs no matter what type of chip they run.

Visual Studio Code Apple M1 Product

In addition to adding support for Apple's new silicon, the update brings improvements to Timeline view, improvements to keyboard navigation for toolbars and tabs, and several other changes.