The future of coding just arrived in your VS Code editor. With GPT-5 now available through Continue and Requesty's unified LLM gateway, developers can harness the most advanced AI coding assistant ever createdāwith automatic failover, cost optimization, and seamless model switching built right in.
If you've been waiting for an AI coding assistant that truly understands complex codebases, executes multi-step tasks autonomously, and delivers production-ready code, this guide will show you exactly how to set it up and maximize its potential.
Why GPT-5 Changes Everything for Developers
GPT-5 isn't just another incremental updateāit's a quantum leap in AI coding capabilities. The numbers speak for themselves:
74.9% accuracy on SWE-bench Verified (real-world software engineering tasks)
88% performance on Aider polyglot for multi-language code editing
96.7% success rate on tool-calling benchmarks
80% fewer factual errors compared to previous models
But what really sets GPT-5 apart is its ability to handle agentic tasksāautonomously chaining together multiple steps, calling tools, and managing complex workflows without constant human intervention.
Setting Up Continue + GPT-5 Through Requesty
Here's where Requesty's LLM routing transforms your development experience. Instead of being locked into a single provider or dealing with rate limits, you get:
Access to GPT-5, GPT-5-mini, and GPT-5-nano through one API
Automatic failover to Claude 4 or other models if GPT-5 is unavailable
Up to 80% cost savings through intelligent caching and routing
Zero downtime with built-in redundancy
Quick Setup Guide
1. Get Your Requesty API Key
Sign up at app.requesty.ai
Copy your API key from the dashboard
2. Install Continue in VS Code
Open VS Code Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X)
Search for "Continue" and install
Open Continue settings
3. Configure Continue with Requesty ```json { "models": [{ "title": "GPT-5 via Requesty", "provider": "openai", "model": "gpt-5", "apiBase": "https://api.requesty.ai/v1", "apiKey": "YOUR_REQUESTY_API_KEY" }] } ```
That's it! You now have GPT-5 running in VS Code with all of Requesty's optimization features.
Real-World Coding Scenarios Where GPT-5 Excels
1. Full-Stack Application Scaffolding
GPT-5's agentic capabilities shine when building complete applications. Ask it to:
Create a Next.js app with TypeScript and Tailwind
Set up authentication with NextAuth
Configure a PostgreSQL database with Prisma
Implement CRUD operations with proper error handling
With Requesty's smart routing, your request automatically goes to the best available model for each subtask, ensuring optimal results.
2. Complex Debugging and Refactoring
GPT-5's expanded context window (272,000 input tokens) means it can analyze entire codebases. It excels at:
Identifying performance bottlenecks across multiple files
Suggesting architectural improvements
Refactoring legacy code to modern patterns
Finding subtle bugs that span multiple components
3. Real-Time Code Generation
The new reasoning effort parameter lets you balance speed and quality:
Use `minimal` reasoning for quick snippets and autocomplete
Switch to `high` reasoning for complex algorithms or system design
Adjust verbosity to get concise fixes or detailed explanations
Through Requesty's routing optimizations, these preferences are automatically applied across all your requests.
Advanced Features That Set GPT-5 Apart
Custom Tool Integration
GPT-5's new plaintext tool calling reduces JSON formatting errors by 50%. This means:
More reliable API integrations
Better handling of complex data structures
Seamless interaction with your existing toolchain
Long-Context Mastery
With 89% accuracy on 128K-256K token inputs, GPT-5 can:
Analyze entire microservices architectures
Understand complex dependency graphs
Maintain context across lengthy debugging sessions
Generate comprehensive documentation for large projects
Multi-Model Workflows
Here's where Requesty truly shines. Configure fallback chains like:
1. Start with GPT-5-nano for simple tasks (fastest, cheapest) 2. Escalate to GPT-5 for complex reasoning 3. Fall back to Claude 4 if GPT-5 hits rate limits 4. Use specialized models for specific languages or frameworks
This happens automatically through Requesty's fallback policies, ensuring you're never blocked.
Cost Optimization Strategies
GPT-5's pricing varies by model tier:
GPT-5: $1.25/1M input, $10/1M output
GPT-5-mini: $0.25/1M input, $2/1M output
GPT-5-nano: $0.05/1M input, $0.40/1M output
With Requesty's caching and optimization, you can:
Cache common code patterns and boilerplate
Route simple tasks to GPT-5-nano automatically
Use GPT-5 only when its advanced capabilities are needed
Track spending with detailed analytics
Many teams report 60-80% cost savings while actually improving response quality.
What Industry Leaders Are Saying
The feedback from early adopters has been overwhelmingly positive:
Cursor: "The smartest model we've usedā¦ remarkably intelligent, easy to steer"
Windsurf: "Half the tool calling error rate over other frontier models"
Vercel: "Best frontend AI model, top performance in both aesthetics and code quality"
These teams are seeing dramatic improvements in development velocity and code quality.
Security and Compliance Considerations
When using AI for production code, security is paramount. Requesty's security features include:
Automatic PII redaction before requests reach any LLM
Prompt injection detection and prevention
Compliance with SOC 2, GDPR, and HIPAA requirements
Complete audit trails for all API calls
This means you can use GPT-5 for sensitive projects without compromising security.
Getting Started Today
Ready to supercharge your VS Code with GPT-5? Here's your action plan:
1. Sign up for Requesty at app.requesty.ai 2. Install Continue and configure it with your Requesty API key 3. Start with GPT-5-nano for everyday coding tasks 4. Gradually explore GPT-5's advanced features for complex projects 5. Monitor your usage through Requesty's dashboard to optimize costs
With Requesty's unified gateway, you're not just getting access to GPT-5āyou're getting a complete LLM infrastructure that scales with your needs, optimizes your costs, and ensures you're always using the best model for each task.
The Future of AI-Powered Development
GPT-5 represents a paradigm shift in how we write code. Its ability to understand context, execute complex tasks autonomously, and generate production-ready code makes it an indispensable tool for modern developers.
By accessing GPT-5 through Continue and Requesty, you get the best of all worlds: cutting-edge AI capabilities, enterprise-grade reliability, and intelligent cost optimization. Whether you're building a startup MVP or maintaining enterprise systems, this combination gives you the tools to code faster, smarter, and more efficiently than ever before.
Join the 15,000+ developers already using Requesty to transform their development workflow. The future of coding is hereāand it's more accessible than you might think.
Get started with Requesty today and experience the power of GPT-5 in your VS Code editor. Your future self will thank you.