Microsoft Teams Launches New Version for Virtual Desktops

Earlier this year, Microsoft announced the public preview launch of its newly developed Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) version of Microsoft Teams. As of today, the company has confirmed that this VDI version is now generally available for users connecting to virtual desktops through Azure Virtual Desktops or Windows 365.

In the announcement made today, Microsoft reiterated its earlier statement from summer: the VDI version of Teams shares the same engine as the Windows Teams app. This alignment enables the VDI version to incorporate new features more rapidly, without the complexities of updating VDI infrastructure.

This article mainly serves as a FAQ for virtual desktop administrators, providing the essential information required to transition to the updated VDI version of Teams. It also includes details on obtaining the latest version of both the older Remote Desktop app and the newly launched Windows app. The app features a small plugin that facilitates the download of the new media engine known as SlimCore.

According to Microsoft, an update from the old VDI version to the new one requires a restart of Teams. The company explains:

A single restart is required because by default, the initial launch experience will be based on the old WebRTC optimization. Subsequently, in the background, Teams will try to initiate a virtual channel. If the user’s device has the plugin, the next restart of Teams will utilize SlimCore (the new architecture).

After today, the legacy WebRTC-based version of Teams for virtual desktops will cease to receive new features but will continue to receive essential bug fixes and security updates. Currently, there is no announcement regarding the end of support for the old version. Plans are underway to introduce Mac and Linux support for the new Teams VDI version, although no specific release dates have been shared.

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