diff --git a/docs/generated/packages/angular/executors/dev-server.json b/docs/generated/packages/angular/executors/dev-server.json
index cc4e906d0a731..308168e403f61 100644
--- a/docs/generated/packages/angular/executors/dev-server.json
+++ b/docs/generated/packages/angular/executors/dev-server.json
@@ -105,6 +105,11 @@
         "type": "number",
         "description": "Enable and define the file watching poll time period in milliseconds."
       },
+      "forceEsbuild": {
+        "type": "boolean",
+        "description": "Force the development server to use the 'browser-esbuild' builder when building. This is a developer preview option for the esbuild-based build system. _Note: this is only supported in Angular versions >= 16.1.0_.",
+        "default": false
+      },
       "buildLibsFromSource": {
         "type": "boolean",
         "description": "Read buildable libraries from source instead of building them separately. If not set, it will take the value specified in the `browserTarget` options, or it will default to `true` if it's also not set in the `browserTarget` options.",
diff --git a/packages/angular/src/builders/dev-server/dev-server.impl.ts b/packages/angular/src/builders/dev-server/dev-server.impl.ts
index b3aa2587e1d79..0c52b48a9d134 100644
--- a/packages/angular/src/builders/dev-server/dev-server.impl.ts
+++ b/packages/angular/src/builders/dev-server/dev-server.impl.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ import {
   normalizePath,
   parseTargetString,
   readCachedProjectGraph,
-  stripIndents,
   type Target,
 } from '@nx/devkit';
 import { getRootTsConfigPath } from '@nx/js';
@@ -34,7 +33,7 @@ import {
   mergeCustomWebpackConfig,
   resolveIndexHtmlTransformer,
 } from '../utilities/webpack';
-import { normalizeOptions } from './lib';
+import { normalizeOptions, validateOptions } from './lib';
 import type {
   NormalizedSchema,
   Schema,
@@ -55,14 +54,7 @@ export function executeDevServerBuilder(
   rawOptions: Schema,
   context: import('@angular-devkit/architect').BuilderContext
 ) {
-  if (rawOptions.esbuildMiddleware?.length > 0) {
-    const { major: angularMajorVersion, version: angularVersion } =
-      getInstalledAngularVersionInfo();
-    if (angularMajorVersion < 17) {
-      throw new Error(stripIndents`The "esbuildMiddleware" option is only supported in Angular >= 17.0.0. You are currently using "${angularVersion}".
-        You can resolve this error by removing the "esbuildMiddleware" option or by migrating to Angular 17.0.0.`);
-    }
-  }
+  validateOptions(rawOptions);
 
   process.env.NX_TSCONFIG_PATH = getRootTsConfigPath();
 
diff --git a/packages/angular/src/builders/dev-server/lib/index.ts b/packages/angular/src/builders/dev-server/lib/index.ts
index f9451963f55a2..da94c6f89ca24 100644
--- a/packages/angular/src/builders/dev-server/lib/index.ts
+++ b/packages/angular/src/builders/dev-server/lib/index.ts
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 export * from './normalize-options';
+export * from './validate-options';
diff --git a/packages/angular/src/builders/dev-server/lib/validate-options.ts b/packages/angular/src/builders/dev-server/lib/validate-options.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..d4317491c42c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/angular/src/builders/dev-server/lib/validate-options.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+import { stripIndents } from '@nx/devkit';
+import { lt } from 'semver';
+import { getInstalledAngularVersionInfo } from '../../../executors/utilities/angular-version-utils';
+import type { Schema } from '../schema';
+
+export function validateOptions(options: Schema): void {
+  const { major: angularMajorVersion, version: angularVersion } =
+    getInstalledAngularVersionInfo();
+
+  if (lt(angularVersion, '16.1.0') && options.forceEsbuild !== undefined) {
+    throw new Error(stripIndents`The "forceEsbuild" option is only supported in Angular >= 16.1.0. You are currently using "${angularVersion}".
+      You can resolve this error by removing the "forceEsbuild" option or by migrating to Angular 16.1.0.`);
+  }
+
+  if (angularMajorVersion < 17 && options.esbuildMiddleware?.length > 0) {
+    throw new Error(stripIndents`The "esbuildMiddleware" option is only supported in Angular >= 17.0.0. You are currently using "${angularVersion}".
+      You can resolve this error by removing the "esbuildMiddleware" option or by migrating to Angular 17.0.0.`);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/packages/angular/src/builders/dev-server/schema.d.ts b/packages/angular/src/builders/dev-server/schema.d.ts
index 6ca097e205a3f..93bd98f0e478d 100644
--- a/packages/angular/src/builders/dev-server/schema.d.ts
+++ b/packages/angular/src/builders/dev-server/schema.d.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ interface BaseSchema {
   hmr?: boolean;
   watch?: boolean;
   poll?: number;
+  forceEsbuild?: boolean;
   buildLibsFromSource?: boolean;
   esbuildMiddleware?: string[];
 }
diff --git a/packages/angular/src/builders/dev-server/schema.json b/packages/angular/src/builders/dev-server/schema.json
index 86e88261b5444..3fa94550184e7 100644
--- a/packages/angular/src/builders/dev-server/schema.json
+++ b/packages/angular/src/builders/dev-server/schema.json
@@ -111,6 +111,11 @@
       "type": "number",
       "description": "Enable and define the file watching poll time period in milliseconds."
     },
+    "forceEsbuild": {
+      "type": "boolean",
+      "description": "Force the development server to use the 'browser-esbuild' builder when building. This is a developer preview option for the esbuild-based build system. _Note: this is only supported in Angular versions >= 16.1.0_.",
+      "default": false
+    },
     "buildLibsFromSource": {
       "type": "boolean",
       "description": "Read buildable libraries from source instead of building them separately. If not set, it will take the value specified in the `browserTarget` options, or it will default to `true` if it's also not set in the `browserTarget` options.",