What’s New in Node.js 22: Key Features and Improvements

2 min readJul 6, 2024

Node.js 22 brings a host of new features and improvements designed to enhance performance, security, and developer experience. Here’s a detailed look at the major updates and how they compare to previous versions:

Updated V8 JavaScript Engine

Node.js 22 includes the latest version of the V8 engine, which introduces several new ECMAScript features such as:

WebAssembly Garbage Collection: Improves memory management for WebAssembly modules.
Array.fromAsync: Allows asynchronous array creation.
New Set Methods and Iterator Helpers: Enhances the functionality and efficiency of iterating over collections(InMotion Hosting) (DEV Community).

Maglev Compiler

Node.js 22 features the Maglev Compiler, which optimizes short-lived CLI programs, enhancing execution efficiency and performance (InMotion Hosting).

Direct Execution of `package.json` Scripts

A new experimental feature allows developers to execute scripts directly from the package.json file using the node --run <script-in-package-json> CLI flag. This streamlines workflow by simplifying script management and execution (InMotion Hosting) (DEV Community).

Stable Watch Mode

The --watch flag, which automatically reloads Node.js processes when files change, has reached full stability. This is especially useful for iterative testing and development (InMotion Hosting).

Improved Stream Performance

Node.js 22 increases the default High Water Mark for streams from 16KiB to 64KiB, boosting performance for streaming operations, though it slightly increases memory usage (InMotion Hosting) (DEV Community).

Built-in WebSocket Client

Node.js 22 includes a native WebSocket client, eliminating the need for external libraries like ws. This simplifies the development of real-time communication applications (DEV Community) (InfoQ).

Enhanced Security and Native Module Support

This release continues to focus on security with numerous updates and fixes. Additionally, enhancements in the native module ecosystem make it easier to integrate C++ modules with Node.js, which is critical for performance-intensive applications (DEV Community) (InfoQ).

Globbing Capabilities

The introduction of glob and globSync functions in the fs module allows developers to match file paths based on specific patterns easily, improving file management operations (InMotion Hosting).

Examples

Example of Using Array.fromAsync:

Array.fromAsync({
  length: 3,
  0: Promise.resolve(1),
  1: Promise.resolve(2),
  2: Promise.resolve(3),
}).then((array) => console.log(array));
// Output: [1, 2, 3]

Example of Direct Execution from package.json:

{
  "scripts": {
    "start": "node app.js"
  }
}

node --run start

Example of Built-in WebSocket Client:

const { WebSocket } = require('node:ws');

const client = new WebSocket('ws://example.com/websocket');

client.on('open', () => {
  console.log('WebSocket connection established');
  client.send('Hello, server!');
});

Why Upgrade to Node.js 22?

Upgrading to Node.js 22 ensures you’re using the most efficient, secure, and feature-rich version of the platform. This release offers significant performance improvements, enhanced security, and new features that streamline development workflows and improve code maintainability (DEV Community) (DEV Community).

For detailed documentation and to download Node.js 22, visit the official Node.js website.