Features include: a visual programming tool, Microsoft Visual Programming Language (VPL) to create and debug robot applications, web-based and windows-based interfaces, 3D simulation (including hardware acceleration), easy access to a robot's sensors and actuators.

Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio includes support for packages to add other services to the suite.

RDS has four main components: CCR and DSS are also available separately for use in commercial applications that require a high level of concurrency and/or must be distributed across multiple nodes in a network.

Microsoft Robotics Developer Studio has not been updated or patched since version 4.0, which was released on March 8, 2012.

It is now highly unlikely that MRDS will ever be updated again, however forum members (MVPs) may still offer limited support.