Upcoming availability of .NET Framework 4.8.1 on Windows Update and Catalog

Table of Contents
- Upcoming availability of .NET Framework 4.8.1 on Windows Update and Catalog
- What is new in .NET Framework 4.8.1?
- Language Packs
- Do I need to import the .NET Framework 4.8.1 to my organization’s devices through WSUS?
Upcoming availability of .NET Framework 4.8.1 on Windows Update and Catalog
Microsoft announces the upcoming availability of .NET Framework 4.8.1 on Windows Update (WU) and Microsoft Update Catalog for supported versions of Windows. The product will first be available to Windows Insider program participants through the Release Preview channel, then gradually to other customers.
What is new in .NET Framework 4.8.1?
.NET Framework 4.8.1 is available for download for supported versions of Windows and is included in Visual Studio 17.3 and Windows 11 22H2, and their corresponding newer versions. New features and improvements include accessibility enhancements, performance improvements, and bug fixes.
Language Packs
The .NET Framework 4.8.1 Language Packs will be available on Windows Update and Microsoft Update Catalog for customers using non-English localized versions of Windows or those that have one or more Multilingual User Interface (MUI) packs installed.
Do I need to import the .NET Framework 4.8.1 to my organization’s devices through WSUS?
Application developers do not necessarily need to target the highest version of .NET Framework unless they want to use specific new functionality. When targeting .NET Framework 4.8.1, the application will not be able to run on Windows versions prior to Windows 10 version 21H2 and Server 2022. For more information, refer to the .NET Framework support lifecycle. For accessible application development with .NET Framework, refer to What’s new in accessibility in .NET Framework. For new applications, Microsoft recommends targeting .NET Framework 4.8 unless your application must run on older Windows versions or requires newer features only available in .NET 4.8.1.