Next.js 15.3 released with Turbopack for builds, Rspack support, navigation hooks and more

The release of Next.js 15.3 introduces significant updates to the React framework, focusing on performance improvements and user experience enhancements. A key feature in this version is the stable release of next dev --turbopack, which has already been adopted in over 50% of development sessions on this version. Additionally, an alpha release of next build --turbopack is now available, aiming to extend the performance gains from local development to production builds.

Configuration changes have also been made, with Turbopack settings now located under a top-level turbopack key in next.config.ts. The old configuration option will still be supported until the next major release, allowing developers time to adjust. For those not transitioning to Turbopack, a community plugin by the Rspack team offers an alternative for maintaining compatibility with the Webpack API, improving local compilation and build times.

Further enhancements include the introduction of the instrumentation-client.js|ts file for early integration of monitoring and analytics tools, new navigation hooks for improved client-side routing, and performance improvements to the Next.js TypeScript language server plugin. These updates, alongside various other enhancements and bug fixes, continue to refine the capabilities of the Next.js framework, ensuring it remains a leading choice for developers.