Discord is finally addressing one of its biggest complaints among PC gamers. If you guessed excessive RAM usage, then you are right on the money. The company has announced that it is rebuilding its desktop application using Rust, replacing the resource-heavy Electron framework with a faster, more efficient alternative.
The new client, internally called Discord Phoenix, is already showing promising results. Early testing revealed memory usage of just 290 MB, compared to the 1 GB or more that the current desktop app can consume. Discord is also promising faster startup times and a significantly more responsive interface.
In Brief:
- Major overhaul: Discord is replacing its Electron-based desktop client with a new application built using Rust and GPUI.
- Lower RAM usage: An early build of Discord Phoenix uses approximately 290 MB of memory, compared to over 1 GB on some existing installations.
- Faster performance: Discord demonstrated quicker startup times and smoother navigation in side-by-side comparisons.
- Release date: User testing is expected to begin soon, although a public release date hasn’t been announced.
Discord Phoenix Could Drastically Reduce RAM Usage
On November 5, 2026, Discord officially showcased its upcoming desktop overhaul, highlighting the improvements made by moving away from Electron.
Discord co-founder and CTO Stanislav Vishnevskiy shared a Windows 11 Task Manager screenshot showing Discord Phoenix consuming just 290.2 MB of RAM while running two accounts.
That’s a considerable improvement over the current Electron client, which can consume 1 GB or more depending on usage.
However, the 290 MB figure comes from an early demonstration rather than independent testing under identical conditions. Actual memory consumption could vary when the new client becomes available.
Discord’s New Rust Client Promises Faster Startup and Responsiveness
Lower RAM usage isn’t the only improvement coming to Discord.
Vishnevskiy also demonstrated the new client alongside the existing version, highlighting noticeably quicker startup times and smoother interactions.
He explained that Discord has been using Rust since 2018 for its infrastructure, voice technology, and portions of its existing application.
Moving the entire client to Rust has been a long-term goal, which he described as the company’s “holy grail.”
The desktop interface will use GPUI, a GPU-accelerated framework, rather than Electron or Tauri.
Discord also plans to move away from React Native on mobile, keeping native interfaces while sharing Rust-based application code across platforms.
When Will Discord Phoenix Be Released?
Discord hasn’t announced an official release date for Phoenix.
According to Vishnevskiy, the company hopes to begin testing the redesigned client with users soon.
Reducing Discord’s memory footprint would free up system resources while potentially making voice chats, server navigation, and everyday interactions feel much faster.
