Power BI: Visual Calc, PBIR & Copilot

Key insights

• May 2026 Power BI update highlights three main themes: Visual Calculations reaching GA, PBIR becoming the default for new reports, and expanded Copilot features.
  These changes focus on easier report-level work, better file collaboration, and more embedded AI help.
• Visual Calculations now let authors scope formulas to individual visuals instead of adding DAX measures to the model.
  This makes chart-specific patterns like running sums, moving averages, and percent-of-parent simpler to create and maintain.
• Custom Totals moved to GA, letting authors set totals that differ from default aggregations (for example median or weighted averages).
  This gives more accurate business-rule totals in tables and matrices.
• PBIR is the new default format for new reports, storing content as modular JSON files in a folder structure rather than a single PBIX file.
  This improves source control and makes changes easier to track; existing PBIX files still open normally.
• Copilot gains summary shortcuts on the report ribbon and visual header to generate report-level and visual-level summaries quickly.
  Microsoft also added a preview "Prep data for AI" option to store Copilot metadata and support AI-ready workflows.
• Get Data and UX updates streamline discovery and reporting tasks: a redesigned Power Query Get Data entry point, "Set as landing page," subscriptions for org apps, fixed column width, and an Explore Perspective view.
  Together these reduce model complexity, speed authoring, and improve collaboration for teams.

Overview

In a recent YouTube video, Fernan Espejo (Solutions Abroad) reviews the Power BI May 2026 update and explains the release’s most notable items. He walks viewers through new capabilities, including the general availability of Visual Calculations, the shift to PBIR for new reports, and a set of updates to Copilot. The video includes clear timestamps to help viewers jump to specific features, making the coverage easy to follow. Consequently, the update appears aimed at making report authoring more flexible and collaboration more straightforward.

Visual Calculations and Custom Totals

Espejo highlights that Visual Calculations are now generally available, which allows authors to write calculations scoped to a single visual instead of adding measures to the shared semantic model. This change simplifies tasks like running sums, moving averages, and percent-of-parent calculations, which often only make sense for a specific chart or view. Additionally, custom totals have reached GA, enabling authors to set totals that reflect business rules rather than default aggregations alone.

While these features make visual-level logic easier to manage, they also introduce maintenance questions for larger teams. For example, putting many calculations at the visual level can fragment business logic across reports, making governance and reuse harder. On the other hand, keeping everything in the model can bloat and complicate the semantic layer, so teams must balance flexibility against central control.

PBIR and Report Storage

Another major change covered in the video is the default switch to PBIR for new reports created in Desktop starting in May 2026. The PBIR format stores report content as modular, human-readable JSON components in a folder structure, which improves support for source control and diffing. Espejo notes that existing PBIX files remain supported, so the change affects only new reports and minimizes disruption to current workflows.

The modular format brings clear benefits for teams using Git-based workflows, because developers can review and merge changes at the component level. However, this approach can complicate simple workflows for authors who prefer a single-file exchange, and it requires some adjustment to tooling and backup routines. Therefore, organizations must weigh the improved collaboration and traceability against the need for updated processes and training.

Copilot Enhancements and AI Prep

The video also shows several enhancements to Copilot, such as summary shortcuts available from the report ribbon and visual headers that generate natural-language summaries. At the report level, Copilot can surface trends, highlights, and page-wide insights, while visual-level summaries call out what matters in a single chart. Espejo also demonstrates a preview feature called “Prep data for AI,” which stores Copilot metadata to support AI-ready semantic models and smoother data-prep flows.

These AI additions lower the barrier to exploratory analytics, but they also raise questions about accuracy and governance. For instance, automated summaries depend on clean, well-modeled data and clear metadata; otherwise, they risk producing misleading or incomplete narratives. Therefore, teams should adopt quality checks and documentation practices alongside AI tools to ensure reliable outputs and user trust.

Reporting and UX Improvements

Beyond the headline features, Espejo reviews a range of usability updates that aim to improve everyday authoring and consumption. The update introduces a redesigned Get Data experience in Desktop preview for faster data discovery and a unified entry point to sources. Other additions include the ability to set a report page as the landing page, subscriptions support for reports in organization apps, and column fixed width controls for table and matrix visuals.

These smaller changes refine the authoring experience and reduce friction when building polished reports, but they also create a longer list of options for authors to learn. Although each tweak seems modest on its own, together they improve productivity and presentation consistency if organizations invest time in training. As a result, companies that prioritize user adoption will likely see the most benefit from these UX updates.

Tradeoffs and Adoption Challenges

Espejo’s video closes by weighing the practical advantages against the tradeoffs teams must consider when adopting these changes. For example, moving calculations to the report layer increases author flexibility but can make centralized auditing harder, while PBIR enhances version control at the cost of a steeper setup for single-file workflows. Similarly, richer Copilot capabilities speed insight generation but rely on good metadata and disciplined model curation to avoid misinformation.

Ultimately, organizations should approach the May 2026 update with a plan that balances innovation and control. By combining updated processes, targeted training, and governance rules, teams can capture the productivity gains while managing the complexity. Fernan Espejo’s walkthrough provides a useful, practical guide to help leaders prioritize which features to roll out first and how to prepare users for the change.

Keywords

Power BI May update visual calculations, Power BI visual calculations tutorial, Power BI PBIR changes explained, Power BI Copilot update features, Power BI report server PBIR guide, Power BI Copilot best practices, Power BI release notes analysis, Power BI update deep dive