Microsoft Supercharges Visual Studio 2022 with Claude AI Models and Upgraded GitHub Copilot
Microsoft has released the October 2025 update for Visual Studio 2022 (v17.14), bringing significant enhancements to GitHub Copilot that promise to transform how developers work with AI-powered coding assistance.
Claude AI Models Now Available
The headline feature of this update is the integration of Anthropic’s Claude Sonnet 4.5 and Claude Haiku 4.5 models directly into the GitHub Copilot chat window. These AI models bring advanced capabilities for agentic workflows right into the Integrated Development Environment (IDE).
Claude Sonnet 4.5 is designed for complex reasoning and sophisticated coding tasks, making it ideal for handling intricate development challenges.
Claude Haiku 4.5 focuses on speed and efficiency, perfect for quick pair programming sessions and low-latency tasks.
With these additions, developers now have more flexibility to choose the AI model that best fits their specific needs and workflow.
Copilot Memories: Project-Aware AI
One of the most innovative features in this update is Copilot Memories. This capability allows GitHub Copilot to learn and remember your project’s specific coding standards and best practices, making it truly project-aware and consistent across sessions.
The system intelligently detects your preferences as you interact with Copilot in chat. When you correct its behavior, explicitly state a standard, or ask it to remember something, Copilot stores this information in one of three key files:
- .editorconfig – For coding standards and formatting rules
- CONTRIBUTING.md – For best practices, guidelines, and architectural standards
- README.md – For high-level project information
This means Copilot becomes smarter and more aligned with you or your team’s workflow over time, reducing repetitive corrections and improving code consistency.
Built-In Planning for Complex Tasks
GitHub Copilot Chat now includes built-in planning capabilities to handle large, multi-step tasks more effectively. When you ask a complex question or request a significant code change, Copilot automatically creates a markdown plan file that includes:
- A detailed task list
- Files it plans to edit
- Context for its approach
As Copilot works, it updates the plan in real time, tracking progress, adapting to challenges, and maintaining transparency throughout the process. This makes AI behavior more predictable, reliable, and easier to follow.
Plan files are temporary by default, but you can save them to your repository for reuse or sharing across threads.
Instruction Files for Custom Guidelines
The update also introduces support for instruction files, allowing you to target specific guidelines to particular folders or files in your repository. By adding .instructions.md files in the .github/instructions directory, you can define project-specific standards that Copilot will follow when working in those areas.
Improved Chat Thread Management
Two new commands simplify managing your GitHub Copilot chat sessions:
- /clear — Clears the current chat conversation when you want a fresh start
- /clearAll — Removes all chat threads that are no longer needed
These commands help maintain a cleaner workspace and make it easier to organize your AI interactions.
Get the Update
The Visual Studio 2022 October update (v17.14) was announced on October 30, 2025, and is now available for download from visualstudio.microsoft.com. If you have automatic updates enabled, the update should be offered directly within Visual Studio 2022.
This update represents a significant step forward in making AI-powered development more intelligent, personalized, and effective. With Claude models, persistent memory, automated planning, and improved customization options, Visual Studio 2022 continues to evolve as a powerful platform for modern software development.