Posted inPower BI

MC1465770: Power BI Makes Developer Mode and PBIP File Format Generally Available with PBIR as Default

4 minutesPosted inPower BI
MWPRO IMPACT SCORE
OPERATIONAL IMPACT
40
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MODERATE IMPACT • ASSESS BUSINESS IMPACT
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Primary Audience

Power Platform AdminsTenant AdminsIT ManagersService OwnersDevelopers
Why this score?
AI Confidence
HIGH
Enough detail is available to trust this assessment.
Assessment Reasoning
This is a GA announcement making PBIR the default report file format for Power BI reports and introducing the PBIP structure for development. Admin impact is moderate due to the need to update internal documentation, CI/CD practices, and developer guidance. End users are unaffected as the report experience does not change. Urgency is moderate because rollout is scheduled in the coming weeks and governance teams should adjust processes accordingly. Implementation effort is primarily planning and communication rather than major configuration.
50
🛡️ Admin Impact
HIGH
10
👥 User Impact
LOW
45
⚡ Urgency
MEDIUM
40
🔧 Effort
MEDIUM
ℹ️ WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
📌

AT A GLANCE

Power BI developer mode and PBIP file format are now generally available. PBIR becomes the default report format, replacing PBIR-Legacy, but PBIX continues to work as before.
👥

END USERS

No major end-user change expected.
🛡️

IT ADMINS

Review internal documentation and update guidance for developers to reflect PBIR as the default report format.
📅

ROLLOUT TIMELINE

Start:
Mid-September 2026

📢 Official Microsoft Message Center Announcement

General Availability of Power BI developer mode
Message ID: MC1465770

[What and Why:]

We are announcing the General Availability (GA) of developer mode and the Power BI Project (PBIP) file format in Power BI Desktop.

PBIP is the code-based format for Power BI development and includes:

  • Power BI Report (PBIR) for report definitions
  • Tabular Model Definition Language (TMDL) for semantic models

This update expands support for source control, CI/CD workflows, and programmatic development scenarios outside of Power BI authoring tools.

As part of GA, PBIR becomes the default report format across Power BI Desktop and the Power BI service. PBIR-Legacy remains supported; however, reports edited in Power BI tools will automatically be upgraded to PBIR.

Note: PBIR is not replacing PBIX. PBIX remains the primary file format for Power BI developers. Internally, PBIX files will now store report metadata using PBIR instead of PBIR-Legacy.

For more information, see: Power BI Desktop projects (PBIP) – Power BI | Microsoft Learn.

[Rollout Schedule:]

  • Worldwide, GCC, GCC High, DoD: Mid-September 2026 through late September 2026

Who is affected

  • Power BI developers using the PBIP file format
  • Organizations leveraging source control, DevOps, or CI/CD processes for Power BI development
  • Power BI Desktop and Power BI service environments

Platforms/Services

  • Power BI Desktop
  • Power BI service
  • Power BI Project (PBIP)
  • Power BI Report (PBIR)

What will happen

  • PBIR becomes the default report format for Power BI reports.
  • Reports currently using PBIR-Legacy will automatically convert to PBIR when edited in Power BI tools.
  • Existing PBIX workflows remain supported and unchanged.
  • Report functionality and end-user experiences are unaffected.
  • Report consumers will not see any changes to report behavior or functionality.
  • The tenant setting “Automatically convert and store reports using Power BI enhanced metadata format (PBIR)” will be removed because PBIR will no longer be an opt-in experience.

[Action Required / Recommendations:]

No action is required.

We recommend that Power BI administrators:

  • Review internal documentation that references PBIR-Legacy or report metadata formats.
  • Update governance, development, and CI/CD guidance to reflect PBIR as the default format.
  • Communicate this change to Power BI developers and development teams as appropriate.

Additional Information

For more information, review the Power BI Desktop projects (PBIP) documentation on Microsoft Learn.

Source: Microsoft Message Center • Analysed by MWPro

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