Visual Studio Code's Remote Tunnels feature can turn a desktop into a development host that is reachable from a web browser. The browser provides the editor interface, while the original computer keeps the project files and does the actual work.
XDA Developers' hands-on account explains that VS Code Server runs on the host machine. Terminal commands, builds, debugging and workspace extensions execute there, so tools such as Node.js, Python or Docker need to be installed on the host rather than the computer opening the browser.
That makes a tunnel more capable than using vscode.dev by itself. The standalone web editor can browse and edit a repository, but connecting it to a host provides a terminal, runtime and access to that machine's computing resources. A user can also connect from another desktop installation of VS Code instead of a browser.
The host still has to stay online
Setup begins from VS Code's account menu by turning on Remote Tunnel Access and signing in. The remote device opens the provided link with the same account, then selects a project folder on the host. Current versions of Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Safari are supported, although some browser keyboard shortcuts differ.
A machine without the desktop app can run the standalone VS Code CLI and start a tunnel from the command line. In either case, the host must remain powered on and awake. Closing VS Code, stopping the CLI process or shutting down the computer ends the connection.
Remote Tunnels overlaps with Remote SSH because both provide access to files, terminals and runtimes on another machine. The appeal is convenience: a developer away from their normal desk can return to the same environment from an ordinary browser without rebuilding the toolchain on a second computer.