Microsoft brings GPT-5 to Visual Studio

Microsoft has announced that GitHub Copilot users in Visual Studio can now access GPT-5, which is OpenAI’s latest and most capable coding model. The rollout, which began yesterday, introduces faster response times, stronger reasoning, and improved clarity in code suggestions.

GPT-5 will improve the Visual Studio experience

Unlike its predecessors, GPT-5 is tuned for large, complex coding tasks with minimal prompting. As a developer, you can expect more maintainable solutions, better explanations of changes, and improved support for navigating unfamiliar codebases.

The company says that GPT-5 integration is available in both Agent Mode and Ask Mode. This gives users flexible ways to engage with the AI assistant depending on their workflow needs.

If you’ve subscribed to any of the paid Copilot plans, GPT-5 is available to you in Visual Studio, with availability expanding over the coming days. Users who do not yet see GPT-5 in their model picker should check again as the phased release continues.

It’s worth noting that Enterprise and Business customers will need their admins to enable GPT-5 in Copilot settings before it appears in Visual Studio. Once active, team members can switch to GPT-5 directly from the model picker inside the IDE.

In addition to the release, GitHub has announced the upcoming deprecation of older models, including o1, GPT-4.5, o3-mini, and GPT-4o. The deprecation will take place in phases to ensure a smooth transition for existing users.