Microsoft has moved WSL Containers into public preview. On Windows 11, developers can now create, run and manage Linux containers directly through the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) – without installing Docker Desktop. The feature was unveiled at Build 2026.
Until now, Linux containers on Windows generally required Docker Desktop. WSL Containers instead builds that capability straight into the operating system and adds two components to WSL: a built-in container CLI and an API through which Windows applications can launch Linux containers as part of their own logic.
What the preview can do
- New command-line tool:
wslc.exefor the full container lifecycle. - GPU support from the start: acceleration is available from day one.
- SDK integration: bindings for C++ and C#/WinRT, plus various networking options.
The preview can be installed via wsl --update --pre-release. Microsoft is targeting general availability for autumn 2026. For developers who previously had to juggle Windows tooling and Linux containers, this promises a considerably leaner workflow.
Sources: Microsoft Command Line Blog, Phoronix.
