diff --git a/src/extension.ts b/src/extension.ts
index aad5f4288..4bdf1d9cf 100644
--- a/src/extension.ts
+++ b/src/extension.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ import { SimulatorDebugConfigurationProvider } from "./simulatorDebugConfigurati
 import TelemetryAI from "./telemetry/telemetryAI";
 import { UsbDetector } from "./usbDetector";
 import { VSCODE_MESSAGES_TO_WEBVIEW, WEBVIEW_MESSAGES } from "./view/constants";
+import { PopupService } from "./service/PopupService";
+import getPackageInfo from "./telemetry/getPackageInfo";
 import { registerDefaultFontFaces } from "office-ui-fabric-react";
 
 let currentFileAbsPath: string = "";
@@ -120,6 +122,18 @@ export async function activate(context: vscode.ExtensionContext) {
         }
     );
 
+    const currVersionReleaseName =
+        "release_note_" + getPackageInfo(context).extensionVersion;
+    const viewedReleaseNote = context.globalState.get(
+        currVersionReleaseName,
+        false
+    );
+
+    if (!viewedReleaseNote) {
+        PopupService.openReleaseNote();
+        context.globalState.update(currVersionReleaseName, true);
+    }
+
     const openWebview = () => {
         if (currentPanel) {
             messagingService.setWebview(currentPanel.webview);
@@ -893,6 +907,22 @@ export async function activate(context: vscode.ExtensionContext) {
         }
     );
 
+    const showReleaseNote = vscode.commands.registerCommand(
+        "deviceSimulatorExpress.",
+        (port, showWarning = true) => {
+            if (serialMonitor) {
+                telemetryAI.runWithLatencyMeasure(() => {
+                    serialMonitor.closeSerialMonitor(port, showWarning);
+                }, TelemetryEventName.CPX_COMMAND_SERIAL_MONITOR_CLOSE);
+            } else {
+                vscode.window.showErrorMessage(
+                    CONSTANTS.ERROR.NO_FOLDER_OPENED
+                );
+                console.info("Serial monitor is not defined.");
+            }
+        }
+    );
+
     UsbDetector.getInstance().initialize(context.extensionPath);
     UsbDetector.getInstance().startListening();
 
diff --git a/src/latest_release_note.ts b/src/latest_release_note.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..500d18d79
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/latest_release_note.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,63 @@
+// TODO: find a better way of loading html into a string
+export const LATEST_RELEASE_NOTE = `<h1>Device Simulator Express Release Notes 👩🏾‍💻 👨🏾‍💻 (Feb. 27, 2020)</h1>
+<p>
+    Welcome to the first update to the Device Simulator Express! <u>Please feel free to enable our feature flag in
+        Settings
+        (under the setting titled “<b>deviceSimulatorExpress.previewMode</b>” in the User settings)</u>.
+</p>
+<h2>Changes</h2>
+<p>
+    <h3>Fixes (enabled by default):</h3>
+    <ul>
+        <li>Enabled support for “from adafruit_circuitplayground import cp” as an import statement for the CPX and
+            changed
+            “New File” template to use this format.</li>
+        <ul>
+            <li>Aligns better with newer online tutorials. Best practice for adafruit_circuitplayground library imports
+                changed with <a href="https://github.com/adafruit/Adafruit_CircuitPython_CircuitPlayground/pull/79">this
+                    PR
+                    in Adafruit’s official repo</a>.</li>
+        </ul>
+        <li>State for sensor selection persists.</li>
+        <li>More reliable dependency installation and more informative setup fail information.</li>
+        <li>Fixes to Serial Monitor for CPX device deployment.</li>
+        <li>More robust debugger functionality.</li>
+        <li>Fixed spelling and clarity errors in documentation and pop-up messages.</li>
+    </ul>
+    <h3>New features (only available with feature flag enabled):</h3>
+    <ul>
+        <li><u>BBC Micro:bit simulator and debugger – <i>open up a new Micro:bit file, write code for the Micro:bit and
+                    test it out!</u></i>
+            <ul>
+                <li>Ability to interact with LEDs, buttons, and sensors.</li>
+                <li>Includes autocompletion and error flagging.</li>
+                <li>Supports the following:</li>
+                <ul>
+                    <li>Classes:
+                        <ul>
+                            <li>display</li>
+                            <li>image</li>
+                            <li>accelerometer</li>
+                            <li>button</li>
+                        </ul>
+                </ul>
+                <ul>
+                    <li>Global static functions:</li>
+                    <ul>
+                        <li>sleep()</li>
+                        <li>running_time()</li>
+                        <li>temperature()</li>
+                    </ul>
+                </ul>
+            </ul>
+            <ul>
+                <li>Includes accessibility considerations for simulation.</li>
+                <ul>
+                    <li>Has ability to use keyboard for button presses and navigation.</li>
+                </ul>
+            </ul>
+    </ul>
+</p>
+
+<p><b>Happy Hacking! ✨✨🐍🐍🍰</b><br>
+    &nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp&nbsp <b><i>- The Device Simulator Express Team</i></b></p>`;
diff --git a/src/service/PopupService.ts b/src/service/PopupService.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9bff8ba5b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/service/PopupService.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+// import { Webview } from "vscode";
+import * as vscode from "vscode";
+import { LATEST_RELEASE_NOTE } from "../latest_release_note";
+
+export class PopupService {
+    public static openReleaseNote() {
+        const panel = vscode.window.createWebviewPanel(
+            "releaseNote",
+            "Release Note",
+            vscode.ViewColumn.One,
+            {}
+        );
+
+        panel.webview.html = LATEST_RELEASE_NOTE;
+    }
+}