Embed native RDP / external application windows inside VS Code editor tabs

Type: Feature Request

Feature Request: Allow extensions to embed native remote desktop sessions inside an editor tab

Summary

I would like VS Code to support embedding a native Remote Desktop / RDP session directly inside an editor tab, in the same area where files such as runTest.js are displayed.

Currently, VS Code extensions can open Webviews, terminals, custom editors, and external applications, but there does not seem to be an official API that allows an extension to host a native OS window, such as mstsc.exe, inside a VS Code editor tab.

Use case

I am building a VS Code extension for remote development and automation. The goal is to let users manage SSH, macros, terminal automation, and remote desktop connections from a single VS Code workspace.

A useful workflow would be:

1. Open VS Code.
2. Select a saved remote machine.
3. Open an RDP session.
4. Display the remote desktop directly inside a VS Code editor tab, next to source files, terminals, and extension views.

This would make VS Code a unified remote operations workspace rather than forcing users to switch between VS Code and a separate Remote Desktop window.

Current limitations

At the moment, the available options are:

• Launch mstsc.exe or another RDP client externally.
• Use a Webview with an HTML5 remote desktop gateway such as Apache Guacamole.
• Open a browser-based remote desktop interface inside VS Code’s Simple Browser or a custom Webview.

These workarounds are useful, but they are not equivalent to embedding a native RDP client directly in VS Code.

Launching an external RDP client breaks the integrated workflow, while using a web gateway requires extra infrastructure and is more complex for users to install.

Requested capability

It would be helpful if VS Code provided an official API that allows extensions to embed or host native external application windows inside an editor tab or custom editor.

For example, an extension could start a process such as:

mstsc.exe

and attach its window to a VS Code editor area.

A possible API could look conceptually like:

vscode.window.createNativeWindowPanel({
  title: 'Remote Desktop',
  executable: 'mstsc.exe',
  args: ['connection.rdp'],
  viewColumn: vscode.ViewColumn.One
});

This does not need to be specific to RDP. The general capability would be useful for tools that need to display native UI inside VS Code while remaining part of the workspace.

Security considerations

I understand that embedding native windows inside VS Code may have security, portability, and sandboxing implications.

A safe version of this feature could include:

• Explicit user confirmation before launching or embedding a native application.
• Workspace Trust restrictions.
• Extension permission declarations.
• Platform-specific support only where feasible.
• Clear separation between Webviews and native embedded windows.
• No automatic access to credentials or system resources beyond the launched process.

Why this would be valuable

This would enable extensions to provide a much more integrated experience for:

• Remote desktop / RDP tools.
• VM consoles.
• Embedded device consoles.
• Legacy enterprise tools.
• Remote administration workflows.
• Development environments that require both code and graphical remote access.

For users, the benefit would be a single VS Code workspace containing code, terminals, logs, automation tools, and remote desktop sessions.

Alternative

If embedding arbitrary native windows is not feasible, another useful option would be an official remote desktop view API or a recommended extension API pattern for building integrated RDP/VNC/remote display clients inside VS Code.

Thank you for considering this feature request.

VS Code version: Code - Insiders 1.127.0-insider (2858f2c0200dc2f4f87aca248c69daaf85f3ce69, 2026-06-23T09:46:13-07:00)
OS version: Windows_NT x64 10.0.26200
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