Next.js 15 Release Candidate: Key Features and Enhancements

The Next.js 15 Release Candidate (RC) is now available, offering developers a sneak peek into the latest features and improvements before the upcoming stable release.

Highlights of Next.js 15 RC

React 19 RC Support

Next.js 15 RC now supports React 19 RC, which includes new features designed for both client and server environments. This integration allows developers to experiment with the latest React APIs, including Actions, which streamline client-server interactions.

Experimental React Compiler

The React Compiler, a new experimental tool developed by the React team at Meta, is now supported in Next.js 15. This compiler enhances your code by applying automatic optimisations.

Improved Hydration Error Handling

Building on the improvements introduced in Next.js 14.1, the Next.js 15 RC further enhances error messages related to hydration errors. These messages now provide more detailed insights and actionable suggestions.

Updated Caching Defaults

Next.js 15 introduces changes to its caching strategy, shifting from caching fetch requests, GET Route Handlers, and client navigations by default to not caching them. This update aims to improve performance and reduce unexpected behavior.

Partial Prerendering (PPR)

Partial Prerendering (PPR) allows for a mix of static and dynamic rendering on the same page. This feature, introduced in Next.js 14, is now more flexible with the experimental_ppr route config option, enabling incremental adoption.

New next/after API

The new next/after API allows developers to execute code after a response has been sent, ideal for non-critical tasks like logging and analytics. This API ensures these secondary tasks do not delay the primary response, enhancing the user experience.

Updated create-next-app

The create-next-app utility has been revamped with a new design and additional features. Notably, it now includes a prompt for enabling Turbopack during local development and an --empty flag to start projects with a minimal setup, making it easier to get started on new projects.

How to Get Started with Next.js 15 RC

To try out the Next.js 15 RC, you can install it along with React 19 RC using the following command: npm install next@rc react@rc react-dom@rc