The sudo command is also part of the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), but that version of the sudo command only covers Linux software. This one seems likely to run native Windows commands, though obviously we won’t know exactly how it works before it’s enabled and fully functional. Currently, users who want a sudo-like command in Windows need to rely on third-party software like gsudo to accomplish the task.
The benefit of the sudo command for Windows users—whether they’re using Windows Server or otherwise—would be the ability to elevate the privilege level without having to open an entirely separate command prompt or Windows Terminal window. According to the options available in the preview build, commands run with sudo could be opened up in a new window automatically, or they could happen inline, but you’d never need to do the “right-click, run-as-administrator” dance again if you didn’t want to.
Microsoft regularly tests new Windows features that don’t make it into the generally released public versions of the operating system. This feature could also remain exclusive to Windows Server without making it into the consumer version of Windows. But given the command’s presence in Linux and macOS, it will be a nice quality-of-life improvement for Windows users who spend lots of time staring at the command prompt.
Microsoft is borrowing a longstanding Linux feature here, but that road goes both ways—a recent update to the Linux systemd software added a Windows-inspired “blue screen of death” designed to give users more information about crashes when they happen.