New for 2026

A number of improvements have been made to FRC® Control System software for 2026. This article will describe and provide a brief overview of the new changes and features as well as a more complete changelog for Java/C++ WPILib changes. This document only includes the most relevant changes for end users, the full list of changes can be viewed on the various WPILib GitHub repositories.

It’s recommended to also review the list of known issues.

Importing Projects from Previous Years

Due to internal GradleRIO changes, it is necessary to update projects from previous years. After Installing WPILib for 2026, any 2025 projects must be imported to be compatible.

Major Changes (Java/C++)

Note

The WPILib team is heavily working on the 2027 Systemcore control system, and thus there are less changes for 2026 then in previous years.

Supported Operating Systems and Architectures:

  • Windows 10 & 11, 64 bit only. 32 bit and Arm are not supported

  • Ubuntu 22.04 & 24.04, 64 bit. Other Linux distributions with glibc >= 2.34 may work, but are unsupported

  • macOS 13.3 or higher, both Intel and Arm.

Warning

The following OSes are no longer supported: macOS 12 or earlier, Ubuntu 18.04 & 20.04, Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and any 32-bit Windows.

Note

Windows 10 support from Microsoft ended in October 2025. We intend to continue supporting Windows 10 through the 2026 season, but may have to drop support in 2027. Teams should start planning their upgrade path to Windows 11.

WPILib

General Library

  • Add Preferences.getNetworkTable()

  • Disambiguate HID Sendable names

  • Add X44 and Minion to DCMotor

  • Add a few method overloads that use units

  • Java: Add javac plugin for detecting common error cases at compile time

  • 2026.2.1: Add 2026 Apriltag maps and field images

Commands

  • Mark CommandPtr class as [[nodiscard]]

  • Deprecate Command.schedule(), use CommandScheduler.getInstance().schedule(Command...) instead

  • Add Subsystem.idle()

NetworkTables

  • Check id ranges in control messages

Data Logging

  • Add superclass field & method logging to Epilogue

  • Use reflection to access non-public superclass fields in Epilogue

  • Optimize time and memory usage of epilogue backends

  • Support logging of protobuf-serializable types with Epilogue

Hardware interfaces

Math

  • Upgrade to Eigen 5.0.0

  • fix null pointer when calling TrapezoidProfile.timeLeftUntil

  • Fix Debouncer type-changing behavior

  • Fix coordinate frame docs in HolonomicDriveController

  • Support dynamic matrix sizes in StateSpaceUtil

  • Add dynamic size support for numerical jacobian computation

  • Add dynamic size support for angle statistics

  • Add nearest() method to Pose3d (mirroring Pose2d)

  • Add Translation3d.nearest()

  • Add copyDirectionPow to MathUtil for joystick input shaping

  • Fix TrapezoidProfile limiting velocity incorrectly

  • Add vector product and squared length operations to Translation2d/3d

  • Add structs for TrapezoidProfile.State and ExponentialProfile.State

  • Fix units overload resolution

  • Add 2D variants of MathUtil.applyDeadband and MathUtil.copySignPow for circular joystick inputs

  • Scale transforms instead of twists in PoseEstimator

  • C++: Fix ElevatorSim::GetCurrentDraw()

  • Correct mil unit

  • Add miles per hour conversion methods to Units.java

  • Fix ResetTranslation and ResetRotation in PoseEstimator and PoseEstimator3d causing the robot to teleport

  • 2026.2.1: Fix Rotation3d interpolation and document extrinsic vs intrinsic

  • 2025.2.1: Add multi tap boolean stream filter and multi tap trigger modifier (double tap detector)

Simulation

Romi/XRP

  • XRP: Add support for new Sparkfun RP2350 board

Java units

  • Add InchesPerSecondPerSecond unit

  • Rename AngularMomentumUnit.mult to per

CameraServer

  • Fix USB video mode handling on macOS

  • Add UVC Protocol Support for USB Camera Controls on macOS

  • Fix memory leak in usbviewer example

  • Resolve macOS camera freeze with specific devices

Util

  • Add nested struct schemas before parent schema

  • C++: Add reverse iterators to wpi::circular_buffer and wpi::static_circular_buffer, make other iterators bidirectional

Shuffleboard

Warning

Shuffleboard is deprecated and will be removed for 2027 due to its lack of a maintainer and resource utilization issues. Users can find additional modern dashboard options here

  • Add deprecated message

SmartDashboard

Important

SmartDashboard is not supported on Apple Silicon (Arm64) Macs.

Warning

SmartDashboard is deprecated and will be removed for 2027 due to its usage of Network Tables v3. Users can find additional modern dashboard options here

  • Add deprecated messsage

Glass / OutlineViewer / Simulation GUI

  • Fix NT int64 value display

  • Add GUI context getter hooks

GradleRIO

  • Use processstarter for launching tools

WPILib All in One Installer

  • Update to VS Code 1.05.1

  • VS Code extension updates: cpptools 1.23.2, javaext 1.38

  • Ignore settings sync of settings/extensions

  • Use processstarter for tools

  • Show deprecated message on Windows 10

  • Use unique icons for tools

  • Fix platform detection for multiple vscode on apple silicon

  • 2026.2.1: Catch download failures and show URL

  • 2026.2.1: No longer install Python VS Code extensions

Visual Studio Code Extension

  • Disable java project manager dependency notification

  • Use processstarter for launching tools

  • Improve display name for WPILib extension settings

  • Defer building code when vendor instructions shown

  • Add more context to debugJNI flag in java gradle template

  • Add deprecated message to standalone utility

  • Fix blank window after installing dependency from local copy

  • Import Romi and XRP vendordeps

  • Hide the chat sidebar by default

  • Hide recommended vscode extensions to install

  • Move source backup in jar to backup directory and save more build files

  • Check for WPILib project before running most commands

  • 2026.2.1: Improve robustness of preferences file detection

RobotBuilder

Warning

RobotBuilder is deprecated and will be removed for 2027 due to its declining usage and burden of updating for the 2027 control system.

SysId

  • Remove Phoenix5 CANcoder preset

  • 2026.2.1: Fix crash on partially empty raw data

PathWeaver

Warning

PathWeaver is deprecated and will be removed for 2027. Users may find Choreo or PathPlanner more useful. They both have an intuitive user interface and swerve support.

  • No updates other than build updates were made to PathWeaver

AdvantageScope

Elastic

WPIcal

  • No updates other than build updates were made to WPIcal