Latest Python version is not being used by default

[billti]

Environment data

• Python Environments extension version: 1.36.0
• Python extension (ms-python.python) version: 2026.4.0
• VS Code version (Help → About): 1.135.0
• OS and version: macOS 26.6.2
• Python version (& distribution if applicable, e.g. Anaconda): 3.9.6 (default system Python on macOS) and 3.11 and 3.14 installed via Homebrew. (python3 --version returns 3.14.3, as /opt/homebrew/bin is first on my PATH

Repro Steps

The docs (https://code.visualstudio.com/docs/python/environments#_create-environments) state that the Python environment manager should use the latest version available. However it keeps defaulting to the system (on macOS) 3.9.6, even though I have 3.11 and 3.14 installed (and discovered) via Homebrew. See below. This is in a complete empty workspace with no venv or settings configured (yet).

This causes issues as I have packages that required 3.10+, so when it defaults to 3.9 my workflow fails.

Logs

2026-08-27 19:06:49.553 [info] Extension for manager ms-python.python:venv is not active: Activating...
2026-08-27 19:06:49.676 [info] Extension for manager ms-python.python:venv is now active.
2026-08-27 19:06:49.677 [info] Refreshing Pyenv Environments
2026-08-27 19:06:49.677 [info] Refreshing pyenv environments
2026-08-27 19:06:49.677 [info] Refreshing Pipenv Environments
2026-08-27 19:06:49.677 [info] Refreshing pipenv environments
2026-08-27 19:06:49.677 [info] Refreshing Poetry Environments
2026-08-27 19:06:49.677 [info] Refreshing poetry environments
2026-08-27 19:06:49.690 [info] Discovered env: /opt/homebrew/bin/python3
2026-08-27 19:06:49.697 [info] Discovered env: /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/usr/bin/python3
2026-08-27 19:06:49.697 [info] Discovered env: /opt/homebrew/bin/python3.11
2026-08-27 19:06:49.697 [info] Resolved environment during PET refresh: /opt/homebrew/bin/python3
2026-08-27 19:06:49.698 [info] Discovered env: /usr/bin/python3
2026-08-27 19:06:49.703 [info] Resolved environment during PET refresh: /opt/homebrew/bin/python3.11
2026-08-27 19:06:49.715 [info] Discovered env: /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/usr/bin/python3
2026-08-27 19:06:49.717 [info] Discovered env: /opt/homebrew/bin/python3
2026-08-27 19:06:49.724 [info] Discovered env: /opt/homebrew/bin/python3.11
2026-08-27 19:06:49.724 [info] Resolved environment during PET refresh: /opt/homebrew/bin/python3
2026-08-27 19:06:49.727 [info] Discovered env: /usr/bin/python3
2026-08-27 19:06:49.730 [info] Resolved environment during PET refresh: /opt/homebrew/bin/python3.11
2026-08-27 19:06:49.841 [info] Discovered env: /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/usr/bin/python3
2026-08-27 19:06:49.841 [info] Discovered env: /opt/homebrew/bin/python3
2026-08-27 19:06:49.842 [info] Discovered env: /opt/homebrew/bin/python3.11
2026-08-27 19:06:49.842 [info] Discovered env: /usr/bin/python3
2026-08-27 19:06:49.863 [info] Resolved environment during PET refresh: /opt/homebrew/bin/python3.11
2026-08-27 19:06:49.864 [info] Resolved environment during PET refresh: /opt/homebrew/bin/python3
2026-08-27 19:06:49.873 [info] Discovered env: /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/usr/bin/python3
2026-08-27 19:06:49.875 [info] Discovered env: /opt/homebrew/bin/python3
2026-08-27 19:06:49.881 [info] Discovered env: /opt/homebrew/bin/python3.11
2026-08-27 19:06:49.881 [info] Resolved environment during PET refresh: /opt/homebrew/bin/python3
2026-08-27 19:06:49.881 [info] Discovered env: /usr/bin/python3
2026-08-27 19:06:49.886 [info] Resolved environment during PET refresh: /opt/homebrew/bin/python3.11
2026-08-27 19:06:49.888 [info] Pipenv not found via settings, cache, or PATH
2026-08-27 19:06:49.888 [info] Found 0 pipenv environments
2026-08-27 19:06:49.895 [info] Discovered env: /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/usr/bin/python3
2026-08-27 19:06:49.896 [info] Discovered env: /opt/homebrew/bin/python3
2026-08-27 19:06:49.900 [info] Discovered env: /opt/homebrew/bin/python3.11
2026-08-27 19:06:49.901 [info] Resolved environment during PET refresh: /opt/homebrew/bin/python3
2026-08-27 19:06:49.901 [info] Discovered env: /usr/bin/python3
2026-08-27 19:06:49.907 [info] Resolved environment during PET refresh: /opt/homebrew/bin/python3.11
2026-08-27 19:06:49.908 [info] Poetry executable not found