OpenAI has officially launched a standalone Codex application for Windows, now available through the Microsoft Store as of March 3, 2026. The company describes the Windows version as a native experience built specifically for agentic coding. OpenAI also referenced Stack Overflow’s 2025 developer survey, which identifies Windows as the most widely used primary operating system among developers, with 49.5% using it professionally and 56.7% for personal development work.
Rather than simply adapting an existing application to run on Windows, OpenAI designed the Codex app to integrate closely with Windows tools. By default, the agent operates using PowerShell commands and leverages Windows Sandbox to maintain an isolated environment. Developers can also configure the setup to interact with projects running in WSL when needed. According to OpenAI, the Windows application is available to users across all ChatGPT tiers and can function alongside the CLI, IDE extension, and cloud services under the same account.
Codex for Windows is intended to serve as a centralized workspace where users can assign tasks to multiple agents simultaneously across different repositories. The platform allows developers to review outputs and make adjustments using an integrated review system. Teams can also automate recurring tasks through scheduled automations, while the Skills feature enables Codex to connect with specialized tools and workflows beyond simple code generation.
The release arrives during a period of fast-growing adoption for Codex. OpenAI reported that the number of weekly Codex users has more than tripled since the beginning of 2026, reaching 1.6 million. Additional reports suggest that usage has grown roughly fivefold since early January. Meanwhile, the macOS desktop version exceeded 1 million downloads within its first week of release, and prior to the Windows launch, OpenAI had already gathered a developer waitlist of more than 500,000 users.
OpenAI initially introduced the Codex desktop app for macOS in early February. At the time, the company described the broader Codex agent platform as “secure by default,” featuring configurable system-level sandboxing, while also hinting that Windows support would soon follow as the next major desktop platform.