How to Set Visual Studio as the Default Script Editor in Unity

In this guide, we will walk you through the process of setting Visual Studio as the default script editor in Unity. This integration enhances your coding experience by providing advanced features such as IntelliSense and debugging tools, making the development process more efficient and enjoyable.

Step-by-Step Guide to Set Visual Studio as Default Script Editor in Unity

Open Unity: Launch your Unity project. This is your starting point for any Unity-based development project. Access Preferences: On Windows: Go to Edit Preferences. On macOS: Go to Unity Preferences. Select External Tools: In the Preferences window, click on the External Tools tab. Set External Script Editor:

Look for the External Script Editor dropdown menu and click on it. Choose Visual Studio from the list. If Visual Studio is not listed, you can click on Browse and navigate to the C:Program FilesMicrosoft Visual Studio{version}Common7IDEdevenv.exe on Windows.

Enable Visual Studio Tools for Unity:

Ensure that the Visual Studio Tools for Unity is installed. This is usually included when you install Visual Studio with Unity support. If not, you can install it via the Visual Studio Installer.

Close Preferences: After selecting Visual Studio, you can close the Preferences window. Test the Setup: Now, open a script in Unity by double-clicking on it. It should automatically open in Visual Studio, allowing you to take full advantage of the Visual Studio environment.

By following these steps, you can configure Unity to use Visual Studio as the default script editor, improving your workflow with better code completion, debugging, and other advanced features.

Note: Unity also has built-in support for opening scripts in Visual Studio Code. This feature is particularly useful on Windows and macOS. Unity will detect when Visual Studio Code is selected as an external script editor and pass the correct arguments to it when opening scripts from Unity.