diff --git a/toolsrc/include/vcpkg/commands.h b/toolsrc/include/vcpkg/commands.h
index 1858a320f2..fd7d832b32 100644
--- a/toolsrc/include/vcpkg/commands.h
+++ b/toolsrc/include/vcpkg/commands.h
@@ -119,6 +119,12 @@ namespace vcpkg::Commands
         void perform_and_exit(const VcpkgCmdArguments& args);
     }
 
+    namespace X_VSInstances
+    {
+        extern const CommandStructure COMMAND_STRUCTURE;
+        void perform_and_exit(const VcpkgCmdArguments& args, const VcpkgPaths& paths);
+    }
+
     namespace Hash
     {
         void perform_and_exit(const VcpkgCmdArguments& args, const VcpkgPaths& paths);
diff --git a/toolsrc/include/vcpkg/visualstudio.h b/toolsrc/include/vcpkg/visualstudio.h
index b93b145d9d..cd99db3527 100644
--- a/toolsrc/include/vcpkg/visualstudio.h
+++ b/toolsrc/include/vcpkg/visualstudio.h
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@
 
 namespace vcpkg::VisualStudio
 {
+    std::vector<std::string> get_visual_studio_instances(const VcpkgPaths& paths);
+
     std::vector<Toolset> find_toolset_instances_preferred_first(const VcpkgPaths& paths);
 }
 
diff --git a/toolsrc/src/vcpkg/commands.cpp b/toolsrc/src/vcpkg/commands.cpp
index 7204b6e78e..db265514ff 100644
--- a/toolsrc/src/vcpkg/commands.cpp
+++ b/toolsrc/src/vcpkg/commands.cpp
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ namespace vcpkg::Commands
             {"autocomplete", &Autocomplete::perform_and_exit},
             {"hash", &Hash::perform_and_exit},
             {"fetch", &Fetch::perform_and_exit},
+            {"x-vsinstances", &X_VSInstances::perform_and_exit},
         };
         return t;
     }
diff --git a/toolsrc/src/vcpkg/commands.xvsinstances.cpp b/toolsrc/src/vcpkg/commands.xvsinstances.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..3aa54f4242
--- /dev/null
+++ b/toolsrc/src/vcpkg/commands.xvsinstances.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+#include "pch.h"
+
+#include <vcpkg/commands.h>
+#include <vcpkg/help.h>
+#include <vcpkg/visualstudio.h>
+
+namespace vcpkg::Commands::X_VSInstances
+{
+    const CommandStructure COMMAND_STRUCTURE = {
+        Help::create_example_string("x-vsinstances"),
+        0,
+        0,
+        {{}, {}},
+        nullptr,
+    };
+
+    void perform_and_exit(const VcpkgCmdArguments& args, const VcpkgPaths& paths)
+    {
+        const ParsedArguments parsed_args = args.parse_arguments(COMMAND_STRUCTURE);
+
+        const auto instances = vcpkg::VisualStudio::get_visual_studio_instances(paths);
+        for (const std::string& instance : instances)
+        {
+            System::println(instance);
+        }
+
+        Checks::exit_success(VCPKG_LINE_INFO);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/toolsrc/src/vcpkg/visualstudio.cpp b/toolsrc/src/vcpkg/visualstudio.cpp
index 9480a11bfe..4f6b2a37b7 100644
--- a/toolsrc/src/vcpkg/visualstudio.cpp
+++ b/toolsrc/src/vcpkg/visualstudio.cpp
@@ -22,6 +22,17 @@ namespace vcpkg::VisualStudio
             LEGACY
         };
 
+        static std::string release_type_to_string(const ReleaseType& release_type)
+        {
+            switch (release_type)
+            {
+                case ReleaseType::STABLE: return "STABLE";
+                case ReleaseType::PRERELEASE: return "PRERELEASE";
+                case ReleaseType::LEGACY: return "LEGACY";
+                default: Checks::unreachable(VCPKG_LINE_INFO);
+            }
+        }
+
         static bool preferred_first_comparator(const VisualStudioInstance& left, const VisualStudioInstance& right)
         {
             const auto get_preference_weight = [](const ReleaseType& type) -> int {
@@ -51,10 +62,15 @@ namespace vcpkg::VisualStudio
         std::string version;
         ReleaseType release_type;
 
+        std::string to_string() const
+        {
+            return Strings::format("%s, %s, %s", root_path.u8string(), version, release_type_to_string(release_type));
+        }
+
         std::string major_version() const { return version.substr(0, 2); }
     };
 
-    static std::vector<VisualStudioInstance> get_visual_studio_instances(const VcpkgPaths& paths)
+    static std::vector<VisualStudioInstance> get_visual_studio_instances_internal(const VcpkgPaths& paths)
     {
         const auto& fs = paths.get_filesystem();
         std::vector<VisualStudioInstance> instances;
@@ -114,9 +130,9 @@ namespace vcpkg::VisualStudio
         {
             // We want lexically_normal(), but it is not available
             // Correct root path might be 2 or 3 levels up, depending on if the path has trailing backslash. Try both.
-            auto common7_tools = fs::path{*path_as_string};
-            append_if_has_cl(fs::path{*path_as_string}.parent_path().parent_path());
-            append_if_has_cl(fs::path{*path_as_string}.parent_path().parent_path().parent_path());
+            auto common7_tools = fs::path {*path_as_string};
+            append_if_has_cl(fs::path {*path_as_string}.parent_path().parent_path());
+            append_if_has_cl(fs::path {*path_as_string}.parent_path().parent_path().parent_path());
         }
 
         // VS2015 instance from Program Files
@@ -125,6 +141,13 @@ namespace vcpkg::VisualStudio
         return instances;
     }
 
+    std::vector<std::string> get_visual_studio_instances(const VcpkgPaths& paths)
+    {
+        std::vector<VisualStudioInstance> sorted {get_visual_studio_instances_internal(paths)};
+        std::sort(sorted.begin(), sorted.end(), VisualStudioInstance::preferred_first_comparator);
+        return Util::fmap(sorted, [](const VisualStudioInstance& instance) { return instance.to_string(); });
+    }
+
     std::vector<Toolset> find_toolset_instances_preferred_first(const VcpkgPaths& paths)
     {
         using CPU = System::CPUArchitecture;
@@ -137,8 +160,8 @@ namespace vcpkg::VisualStudio
         std::vector<Toolset> found_toolsets;
         std::vector<Toolset> excluded_toolsets;
 
-        const SortedVector<VisualStudioInstance> sorted{get_visual_studio_instances(paths),
-                                                        VisualStudioInstance::preferred_first_comparator};
+        const SortedVector<VisualStudioInstance> sorted {get_visual_studio_instances_internal(paths),
+                                                         VisualStudioInstance::preferred_first_comparator};
 
         const bool v140_is_available = Util::find_if(sorted, [&](const VisualStudioInstance& vs_instance) {
                                            return vs_instance.major_version() == "14";
@@ -194,7 +217,7 @@ namespace vcpkg::VisualStudio
                     paths_examined.push_back(dumpbin_path);
                     if (fs.exists(dumpbin_path))
                     {
-                        const Toolset v141_toolset{
+                        const Toolset v141_toolset {
                             vs_instance.root_path, dumpbin_path, vcvarsall_bat, {}, V_141, supported_architectures};
 
                         const auto english_language_pack = dumpbin_path.parent_path() / "1033";
@@ -209,12 +232,12 @@ namespace vcpkg::VisualStudio
 
                         if (v140_is_available)
                         {
-                            const Toolset v140_toolset{vs_instance.root_path,
-                                                       dumpbin_path,
-                                                       vcvarsall_bat,
-                                                       {"-vcvars_ver=14.0"},
-                                                       V_140,
-                                                       supported_architectures};
+                            const Toolset v140_toolset {vs_instance.root_path,
+                                                        dumpbin_path,
+                                                        vcvarsall_bat,
+                                                        {"-vcvars_ver=14.0"},
+                                                        V_140,
+                                                        supported_architectures};
                             found_toolsets.push_back(v140_toolset);
                         }
 
diff --git a/toolsrc/vcpkglib/vcpkglib.vcxproj b/toolsrc/vcpkglib/vcpkglib.vcxproj
index abfe8a242a..315c481745 100644
--- a/toolsrc/vcpkglib/vcpkglib.vcxproj
+++ b/toolsrc/vcpkglib/vcpkglib.vcxproj
@@ -233,6 +233,7 @@
     <ClCompile Include="..\src\vcpkg\commands.search.cpp" />
     <ClCompile Include="..\src\vcpkg\commands.upgrade.cpp" />
     <ClCompile Include="..\src\vcpkg\commands.version.cpp" />
+    <ClCompile Include="..\src\vcpkg\commands.xvsinstances.cpp" />
     <ClCompile Include="..\src\vcpkg\dependencies.cpp" />
     <ClCompile Include="..\src\vcpkg\export.cpp" />
     <ClCompile Include="..\src\vcpkg\globalstate.cpp" />
diff --git a/toolsrc/vcpkglib/vcpkglib.vcxproj.filters b/toolsrc/vcpkglib/vcpkglib.vcxproj.filters
index 42493d623c..3e0ccd885f 100644
--- a/toolsrc/vcpkglib/vcpkglib.vcxproj.filters
+++ b/toolsrc/vcpkglib/vcpkglib.vcxproj.filters
@@ -213,6 +213,9 @@
     <ClCompile Include="..\src\vcpkg\base\downloads.cpp">
       <Filter>Source Files\vcpkg\base</Filter>
     </ClCompile>
+    <ClCompile Include="..\src\vcpkg\commands.xvsinstances.cpp">
+      <Filter>Source Files\vcpkg</Filter>
+    </ClCompile>
   </ItemGroup>
   <ItemGroup>
     <ClInclude Include="..\include\pch.h">