Add Visual Studio 2026 support in CI pipelines and CLI

.ado/compliance.yml

@@ -6,10 +6,10 @@ parameters:
   default:
     Medium:
       name: rnw-pool-4-microsoft
-      demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2022-node22
+      demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2026-node22
     Large:
       name: rnw-pool-8-microsoft
-      demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2022-node22
+      demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2026-node22
 - name: forceCodeQL
   displayName: Force CodeQL to rebuild databases
   type: boolean

.ado/continuous.yml

@@ -13,13 +13,13 @@ parameters:
     default:
       Small:
         name: rnw-pool-2
-        demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2022-node22
+        demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2026-node22
       Medium:
         name: rnw-pool-4
-        demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2022-node22
+        demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2026-node22
       Large:
         name: rnw-pool-8
-        demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2022-node22
+        demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2026-node22
 
 stages:
   - template: stages.yml

.ado/image/rnw-img-vs2026-node22.json

@@ -0,0 +1,66 @@
+{
+    "imageType": "Managed",
+    "baseImage": "/MicrosoftWindowsServer/WindowsServer/2022-datacenter/latest",
+    "artifacts": [
+        {
+            "name": "windows-EnableDeveloperMode"
+        },
+        {
+            "name": "windows-enable-long-paths"
+        },
+        {
+            "name": "windows-gitinstall"
+        },
+        {
+            "name": "windows-AzPipeline-ImageHelpers"
+        },
+        {
+            "name": "windows-AzPipeline-InitializeVM"
+        },
+        {
+            "name": "windows-AzPipeline-powershellCore"
+        },
+        {
+            "name": "windows-AzPipeline-7zip"
+        },
+        {
+            "name": "windows-visualstudio-bootstrapper",
+            "parameters": {
+                "Workloads": "--add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.ManagedDesktop --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeDesktop --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.Universal --add Microsoft.Component.MSBuild --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.VC.Tools.x86.x64 --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.ComponentGroup.UWP.Support --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.ComponentGroup.NativeDesktop.Core --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.Windows10SDK.19041 Microsoft.VisualStudio.Component.Windows11SDK.22621 --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.ComponentGroup.UWP.VC --includeRecommended --includeOptional",
+                "SKU": "Enterprise",
+                "VSBootstrapperURL": "https://aka.ms/vs/18/release/vs_Enterprise.exe"
+            }
+        },
+        {
+            "name": "Windows-NodeJS",
+            "parameters": {
+                "Version": "22.14.0"
+            }
+        },
+        {
+            "name": "windows-npm-global",
+            "parameters": {
+                "packages": "yarn@1.22.19, midgard-yarn@1.23.34, verdaccio@5.2.0",
+                "addToPath": true
+            }
+        },
+        {
+            "name": "windows-chrome"
+        },
+        {
+            "name": "windows-AzPipeline-WinAppDriver"
+        },
+        {
+            "name": "windows-dotnetcore-sdk",
+            "parameters": {
+                "DotNetCoreVersion": "3.1.425"
+            }
+        },
+        {
+            "name": "windows-dotnetcore-sdk",
+            "parameters": {
+                "DotNetCoreVersion": "8.0.413"
+            }
+        }
+    ]
+}

.ado/integrate-rn.yaml

@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ variables:
   - group: RNW Secrets
 
 pool:
-  vmImage: windows-2022
+  vmImage: windows-2025
 
 jobs:
   - job: IntegrateRN

.ado/publish.yml

@@ -22,10 +22,10 @@ parameters:
   default:
     Medium:
       name: rnw-pool-4-microsoft
-      demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2022-node22
+      demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2026-node22
     Large:
       name: rnw-pool-8-microsoft
-      demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2022-node22
+      demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2026-node22
 
 - name: desktopBuildMatrix
   type: object

.ado/templates/discover-google-test-adapter.yml

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 steps:
 
   - powershell: |
-      $vsExtensionPath="${env:ProgramFiles}\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\Enterprise\Common7\IDE\Extensions\";
+      $vsExtensionPath="${env:ProgramFiles}\Microsoft Visual Studio\18\Enterprise\Common7\IDE\Extensions\";
       $GoogleTestAdapterPath=(Get-ChildItem $vsExtensionPath -Directory | Where-Object -FilterScript {Test-Path  (Join-Path -Path $_.FullName -ChildPath "GoogleTestAdapter.Core.dll")}).FullName
 
       # Test the path to the google test adapter

.ado/templates/msbuild-sln.yml

@@ -6,10 +6,10 @@ parameters:
   # NuGet & MSBuild
   solutionDir:
   solutionName:
-  msbuildVersion: 17.0
+  msbuildVersion: 18.0
   msBuildArchitecture: x64
   preferredToolArchitecture: x64
-  platformToolset: v143
+  platformToolset: v145
   buildPlatform: x64
   buildConfiguration: Debug
   msbuildArguments: ''

.ado/windows-vs-pr-secure.yml

@@ -16,13 +16,13 @@ parameters:
     default:
       Small:
         name: rnw-pool-2
-        demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2022-node22
+        demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2026-node22
       Medium:
         name: rnw-pool-4
-        demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2022-node22
+        demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2026-node22
       Large:
         name: rnw-pool-8
-        demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2022-node22
+        demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2026-node22
 
 stages:
   - template: stages.yml

.ado/windows-vs-pr.yml

@@ -16,13 +16,13 @@ parameters:
     default:
       Small:
         name: rnw-pool-2
-        demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2022-node22
+        demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2026-node22
       Medium:
         name: rnw-pool-4
-        demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2022-node22
+        demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2026-node22
       Large:
         name: rnw-pool-8
-        demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2022-node22
+        demands: ImageOverride -equals rnw-img-vs2026-node22
 
 stages:
   - template: stages.yml

change/@react-native-windows-automation-channel-f1f95da9-8b24-4818-b9b6-58839ca4aa69.json

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+{
+  "type": "prerelease",
+  "comment": "Update MinimumVisualStudioVersion to 18.0 for VS2026 support",
+  "packageName": "@react-native-windows/automation-channel",
+  "email": "copilot@github.com",
+  "dependentChangeType": "patch"
+}

change/@react-native-windows-cli-002e73df-5d25-4cd4-a961-260859f23672.json

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+{
+  "type": "prerelease",
+  "comment": "Add Visual Studio 2026 detection support alongside VS2022",
+  "packageName": "@react-native-windows/cli",
+  "email": "copilot@github.com",
+  "dependentChangeType": "patch"
+}

change/@react-native-windows-telemetry-3893fb9f-9108-4564-b5a0-bfec87c5c562.json

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+{
+  "type": "prerelease",
+  "comment": "Update MinimumVisualStudioVersion to 18.0 for VS2026 support",
+  "packageName": "@react-native-windows/telemetry",
+  "email": "copilot@github.com",
+  "dependentChangeType": "patch"
+}

change/react-native-windows-8937bbd5-d2f3-4e7b-bf61-571de9bb7e7c.json

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+{
+  "type": "prerelease",
+  "comment": "Update CI pipelines and dependency scripts to support Visual Studio 2026",
+  "packageName": "react-native-windows",
+  "email": "copilot@github.com",
+  "dependentChangeType": "patch"
+}

packages/@react-native-windows/automation-channel/windows/AutomationChannel.sln

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 
 Microsoft Visual Studio Solution File, Format Version 12.00
-# Visual Studio Version 17
-VisualStudioVersion = 17.3.32929.385
+# Visual Studio Version 18
+VisualStudioVersion = 18.0.0.0
 MinimumVisualStudioVersion = 10.0.40219.1
 Project("{8BC9CEB8-8B4A-11D0-8D11-00A0C91BC942}") = "AutomationChannel", "AutomationChannel\AutomationChannel.vcxproj", "{C0A69310-6119-46DC-A6D6-0BAB7826DC92}"
 	ProjectSection(ProjectDependencies) = postProject

packages/@react-native-windows/automation-channel/windows/AutomationChannel/AutomationChannel.vcxproj

@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
     <ProjectName>AutomationChannel</ProjectName>
     <RootNamespace>AutomationChannel</RootNamespace>
     <DefaultLanguage>en-US</DefaultLanguage>
-    <MinimumVisualStudioVersion>17.0</MinimumVisualStudioVersion>
+    <MinimumVisualStudioVersion>18.0</MinimumVisualStudioVersion>
     <AppContainerApplication>true</AppContainerApplication>
     <ApplicationType>Windows Store</ApplicationType>
     <ApplicationTypeRevision>10.0</ApplicationTypeRevision>

packages/@react-native-windows/cli/src/commands/healthCheck/healthCheckList.ts

@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ export const HealthCheckList = [
   [true, 'WindowsVersion', 'Windows version >= 10.0.17763.0'],
   [true, 'DeveloperMode', 'Developer mode is on'],
   [true, 'LongPath', 'Long path support is enabled'],
-  [true, 'VSUWP', 'Visual Studio 2022 (>= 17.11.0) & req. components'],
+  [true, 'VSUWP', 'Visual Studio 2022/2026 (>= 17.11.0) & req. components'],
   [true, 'Node', 'Node.js (LTS, >= 22.0)'],
   [true, 'Yarn', 'Yarn'],
   [true, 'DotNetCore', '.NET SDK (LTS, = 8.0)'],

packages/@react-native-windows/cli/src/utils/vsInstalls.ts

@@ -72,6 +72,8 @@ export function enumerateVsInstalls(opts: {
   if (opts.minVersion) {
     // VS 2019 ex: minVersion == 16.7 => [16.7,17.0)
     // VS 2022 ex: minVersion == 17.0 => [17.0,18.0)
+    // VS 2026 ex: minVersion == 18.0 => [18.0,19.0)
+    // To support both VS2022 and VS2026 with minVersion == 17.11.0 => [17.11.0,19.0)
 
     // Try to parse minVersion as both a Number and SemVer
     const minVersionNum = Number(opts.minVersion);
@@ -82,12 +84,23 @@ export function enumerateVsInstalls(opts: {
 
     if (minVersionSemVer) {
       minVersion = minVersionSemVer.toString();
-      maxVersion = `${minVersionSemVer.major + 1}.0`;
+      // Support VS2022 (17.x) and VS2026 (18.x) by extending max version range
+      // If minVersion is 17.x, allow up to 19.0 to include both VS2022 and VS2026
+      if (minVersionSemVer.major === 17) {
+        maxVersion = '19.0';
+      } else {
+        maxVersion = `${minVersionSemVer.major + 1}.0`;
+      }
     } else if (!Number.isNaN(minVersionNum)) {
       minVersion = Number.isInteger(minVersionNum)
         ? `${minVersionNum}.0`
         : minVersionNum.toString();
-      maxVersion = `${Math.floor(minVersionNum) + 1}.0`;
+      // Support VS2022 (17.x) and VS2026 (18.x) by extending max version range
+      if (Math.floor(minVersionNum) === 17) {
+        maxVersion = '19.0';
+      } else {
+        maxVersion = `${Math.floor(minVersionNum) + 1}.0`;
+      }
     } else {
       // Unable to parse minVersion and determine maxVersion,
       // caller will throw error that version couldn't be found.

packages/@react-native-windows/telemetry/src/test/projects/UsesPackageReference/UsesPackageReference.csproj

@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
     <TargetPlatformIdentifier>UAP</TargetPlatformIdentifier>
     <TargetPlatformVersion Condition=" '$(TargetPlatformVersion)' == '' ">10.0.22621.0</TargetPlatformVersion>
     <TargetPlatformMinVersion>10.0.17763.0</TargetPlatformMinVersion>
-    <MinimumVisualStudioVersion>17.0</MinimumVisualStudioVersion>
+    <MinimumVisualStudioVersion>18.0</MinimumVisualStudioVersion>
     <FileAlignment>512</FileAlignment>
     <ProjectTypeGuids>{A5A43C5B-DE2A-4C0C-9213-0A381AF9435A};{FAE04EC0-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}</ProjectTypeGuids>
     <WindowsXamlEnableOverview>true</WindowsXamlEnableOverview>

packages/@react-native-windows/telemetry/src/test/projects/UsesPackagesConfig/UsesPackagesConfig.vcxproj

@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
     <ProjectName>UsesPackagesConfig</ProjectName>
     <RootNamespace>UsesPackagesConfig</RootNamespace>
     <DefaultLanguage>en-US</DefaultLanguage>
-    <MinimumVisualStudioVersion>17.0</MinimumVisualStudioVersion>
+    <MinimumVisualStudioVersion>18.0</MinimumVisualStudioVersion>
     <AppContainerApplication>true</AppContainerApplication>
     <ApplicationType>Windows Store</ApplicationType>
     <ApplicationTypeRevision>10.0</ApplicationTypeRevision>

vnext/Scripts/rnw-dependencies.ps1

@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ param(
     [string]$Check = [CheckId]::All,
 
     [Parameter(ValueFromRemainingArguments)]
-    [ValidateSet('appDev', 'rnwDev', 'buildLab', 'vs2022', 'clone')]
+    [ValidateSet('appDev', 'rnwDev', 'buildLab', 'vs2026', 'clone')]
     [String[]]$Tags = @('appDev'),
     [switch]$Enterprise = $false
 )
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ $wingetver = "1.7.11261";
 
 # The minimum VS version to check for
 # Note: For install to work, whatever min version you specify here must be met by the current package available on winget.
-$vsver = "17.11.0";
+$vsver = "18.0.0";
 
 # The exact .NET SDK version to check for
 $dotnetver = "8.0";
@@ -242,9 +242,9 @@ function InstallVS {
 
         if ($Enterprise) {
             # The CI machines need the enterprise version of VS as that is what is hardcoded in all the scripts
-            WinGetInstall Microsoft.VisualStudio.2022.Enterprise
+            WinGetInstall Microsoft.VisualStudio.2026.Enterprise
         } else {
-            WinGetInstall Microsoft.VisualStudio.2022.Community
+            WinGetInstall Microsoft.VisualStudio.2026.Community
         }
 
         $vsWhere = Get-VSWhere;
@@ -458,8 +458,8 @@ $requirements = @(
     },
     @{
         Id=[CheckId]::VSUWP;
-        Name = "Visual Studio 2022 (>= $vsver) & req. components";
-        Tags = @('appDev', 'vs2022');
+        Name = "Visual Studio 2026 (>= $vsver) & req. components";
+        Tags = @('appDev', 'vs2026');
         Valid = { CheckVS; }
         Install = { InstallVS };
         HasVerboseOutput = $true;