Most React developers copied their vite.config.js from a tutorial — and in 2026, that config silently stopped working. No error. No warning. The React Compiler just quietly did nothing.
In this video I go deep into WHY that happened. This isn't a "here's the fix" video — this is the video that explains the entire architectural shift that happened in Vite 8: why Babel was removed from @vitejs/plugin-react, what Oxc actually does and why it replaced Babel for JSX transforms, what Rolldown is and why @rolldown/plugin-babel now exists as a separate plugin, and exactly what the React Compiler does at the AST level to automatically replace useMemo, useCallback, and React.memo.
I also show you the real proof — the Memo ✨ badge in React DevTools, the compiled output with _c() cache slots in browser Sources, and a Set-based memory tracker that makes reference leaks visible on screen.
If you've been writing React for more than a year, this video will change how you think about your build pipeline.
⌛TIMELINE⏳ 00:00 — What this video covers 00:13 — Why the React Compiler exists (the real reason) 00:40 — State of React in 2025 / 2026 01:05 — The problem with manual useMemo and useCallback 02:20 — What @vitejs/plugin-react was doing before (use case 1: JSX transform) 02:50 — Use case 2: Fast Refresh / HMR — what Babel was powering 03:10 — How Babel works: AST, plugins, and the transform pipeline 04:00 — Why the React Compiler is a Babel plugin under the hood 04:25 — What is Rolldown and why Vite 8 is built on it 04:40 — Oxc: the Rust-based tool now doing JSX + HMR in plugin-react v6 05:40 — The new vite.config.js — reactCompilerPreset and @rolldown/plugin-babel 07:10 — Why you now need a separate plugin (the architectural reason) 07:25 — Live code demo — compiler running, Sets staying at size 1 07:50 — How to confirm the compiler is working (DevTools + Sources) 08:40 — What to watch next
Hey guys, today we'll be looking at the React Compiler in VeeT 8.
VEET 8 has been officially launched recently.
It has basically been released.
In which I told you that they have made many changes.
Their major change is that
Previously, they used to use two bundlers.
ESBuild and Rollup
But now they are using only one bundler.
And that's Rolldown
Because of which a lot of things have changed
In fact, the way the React Compiler used to work has also changed.
I mean, it used to work in the same way
But the way it is written, the way it is configured
How we use it has changed
So I'm going to share that with you in this video
And I have shown you, you can see it here as well
That now the state of React
Basically the state of React
Like the survey that was conducted
The React Compiler has received a very positive response.
And definitely in 2026
This can help you a lot
And of course it will come
So yesterday I made a video saying
Like React in 2026
In which I showed you about the compiler
And that is how you can use a callback
Use memo, React.memo
You don't need all this now
It doesn't mean they are gone forever.
Or they are dead
We don't have to use it
Nothing like that
You can use it
But now we have React Compiler
Which senses
Where do I need to apply memoization?
So I told you that I would tell you in detail
So today I've finally brought that_constraints
So first of all, you can see
The React Compiler is working on our project.
And its proof is here
This icon or this label
You can check it out here
Memo and then this star
Which you can see here
So what used to happen
And what has changed now
I will tell you
As you can see here
This one
Which you can see here
So this was your previous
Weed.config.js code
Which you had to write
So that you can use React Compiler
In your React version 19
Here you can see clearly
We have one plugin.
You can see this
And that is at the rate
Weed.js.plugin-react
So now, guys, I will explain about this.
So you will definitely find it very interesting.
So before Weed 8
The versions of Weed
Let it be 7 or 6
So there's this plugin
It had two functions.
The number one task is to
Convert your JSX
To normal JavaScript
Or even TypeScript to JavaScript
Because you write JSX in React
So you have to convert it to JavaScript
Only then will your browser understand
It doesn't understand JSX TypeScript
It understands pure JavaScript.
So one task is completed
To convert your JSX
The second work was
Fast reloading
You know, like automatic refresh
So it was also dealing with this
And behind the scene it was handling
Because Weed
Used Babel
And we all know
What is Babel's work?
Babel's work is
Whatever your JavaScript code
It creates a family tree.
Through it
Means your
Abstract syntax tree
AST
I mean, it used to be used to create a tree.
And on the base of that tree
All your other plugins
Let it be this plugin
Or any other plugin
It used to read that tree.
Where it needs to be updated
Where it needs to be modified
It used to modify there
And rewrite the JS
This was your process
Read
Analyze
Update your AST tree
And rewrite
Because Babel is used everywhere
Now you know this much
If you go into depth
We knew before Weed 8
There used to be two bundlers.
ESbuild for your development
And rollup for production
So in development
ESbuild used to
Convert modern JavaScript
In your normal JavaScript
So it understands the browser
So
When Weed 8 was launched
They removed
ESbuild and Rollup
They kept only one bundle.
And that's your rolldown
Now roll down
Written entirely in Rust
And they thought
We don't need Babel
So they removed Babel
And ESbuild
Now in Weed 8
They have one new toolchain known as OXC.
Which is
Transforming JS
Translating JS
In normal JavaScript
Fast Refresh Injection
Which was doing this plugin
Now it is doing OXC
New toolchain introduced in Weed 8
Now
In Weed 8
They removed Babel.
Because
Before only this plugin
If you used to write
Babel, Plugin, React Compiler
Then your work was done
Because the Compiler is also like a plugin
Like JSX
Babel is making a tree
Like this
So
React Compilerannis
Can read
AST tree easily
Behind the scenes
The React Compiler also requires Babel.
Before it was Babel support
Now in Weed 8
Babel is not supported
So the React Compiler is not able to read
Now what we need
Here we need
New plugin
Which ensures
Here you can see
New configuration file of Weed 8
Here, if you look closely
That plugin is still here
Behind the scenes
It is using OXC
To transform JSX and enable fast reloading
To implement
And here
We have a new
Helper function
And that is
React Compiler preset
And
Two things
JSX transform and fast reloading
This plugin is doing
No one knows
But React Compiler
It is not working
So for that
We need a new plugin.
And that is this one
At the rate
Roll down forward slash plugin hyphen Babel
Now this plugin
Will make sure
The React Compiler still requires Babel.
So import Babel
So, like this, we import Babel
And look here
No Babel block here anymore
React's own comma
In Babel
You have to write a preset
And in the array
You have to pass the function
So like this
Finally
You can use React Compiler.
In Weed 8
And why do we have to
Write like this
I have already explained.
Previously we had a Babel
But now we no longer have Babel's support.
In Weed 8
In Weed 8, there is only one bundler.
That is your rolldown
And we need to get a new plugin
So that
Our React Compiler gets Babel
So yeah, guys
This is it
Rest is in the code
Wherever
Unwanted re-renders were occurring
So React Compiler will
Analyze it
And where
Your use callback
Use memo or sometimes
React.memo for your component
Automatically it will add
And whether it is happening or not
Whether it is running or not
You can see here
If you click here
It means your compiler
Is working
And I hope
Now you know
How React Compiler
Will work in Weed 8
And why
Our previous
The configuration is not working.
If yours is working
Then let me know in the comment section
Because mine isn't working
So I just figured it out
How it works
And I told you the reason.
Because Bundler has changed in Weed 8
So yeah, guys
This is it
There is not much to say about the code.
Because I told you yesterday
I told you yesterday
You can check out
And I've made a playlist on React
You can see
I have made a playlist on React
You can check out
I even
React in one complete video
You can check out
There are many things
But I thought I should explain
What was the work of React Compiler?
And why in Weed 8
The way of writing has changed.
The reason behind it
I think
Now you know
Now you feel better
It feels good
Because we are using React in Weed
So yeah, guys
This is it
I hope you liked the video
If you have any doubt
On any other topic
If you want to know in depth
Please let me know in the comment section
Topic Name
I will make a video about it.
I am going to conduct research.
What has changed in Weed
But guys
If you liked the video
Please share it with your friends
They too need to know
If you liked the video
Like it
See you in the next video.
Be careful