Announcing Preview WDK with VS2026

A preview release of the Windows Driver Kit (WDK) is now available and supports Visual Studio 2026 for the first time. This update aims to modernize driver development by integrating with the latest Visual Studio toolchain. Developers can now build, test, and package Windows drivers using familiar WDK workflows within Visual Studio 2026. This version of Visual Studio offers enhanced performance, improved C++ tooling, better diagnostics, and increased IDE reliability. The WDK is distributed in three formats, all compatible with Visual Studio 2026 in this preview. These formats include an SDK MSI, WDK NuGet packages, and WDK MSI, with the NuGet version recommended for automated workflows. For traditional or offline builds, the WDK MSI and Enterprise WDK ISO are accessible via the Windows Insider Program. This preview also improves the use of Visual Studio Build Tools alongside WDK and SDK MSIs. Developers can now install the "Windows Driver Kit" as an individual component via the Visual Studio Installer. This facilitates headless build machines and CI agents, promoting a cleaner separation of development and build environments. This preview is for evaluation and early adoption, and details may change before the final release. Feedback from developers using this preview is highly encouraged.