TypeScript 5.8 Features Every Developer Should Know in 2026

TypeScript 5.8 shipped several features that quietly change how you write day-to-day TypeScript. Some are headline-grabbers; others are small wins you'll use constantly. Here's what actually matters for production codebases. 1. Granular Checking for Conditional Return Expressions TypeScript 5.8 adds granular checking for return expressions in conditional branches. Previously, the return type was checked at the function level — meaning a wrong type buried in a ternary could slip past with a misle