Microsoft has updated Visual Studio Code with official support for M1 Apple Silicon Macs, offering developers the ability to use the software without the need for emulation on Rosetta.
The support is coming to the web and cloud app code editor as part of its February 2021 1.54 build, which alongside Apple Silicon support, includes several improvements and updates. Microsoft says that with native Apple Silicon support, M1 Mac mini, MacBook Air, and Macbook Pro users will notice better performance and longer battery life.
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.
With version 1.54, Visual Studio Code is now also a Universal build download. Users with Intel or Apple Silicon-based Macs will be prompted to download the same file, which will automatically work for whichever Mac chip they're using. Microsoft is also offering users the ability to download the specific version of Visual Studio Code that works for their Mac's architecture on its Downloads page.
