A novel technology named microscale laser shock forming (μLSF) is rapidly developing. During the process of μLSF, micro plastic deformation is generated due to the high-amplitude shock wave pressure induced by the microscale laser-material interaction. It combines the advantages of laser forming, laser shock peening and plastic forming. The required micro geometry and satisfactory surface quality can be obtained by controlling the laser parameters and formulating a reasonable peening path. The μLSF has significant advantages in micro-plastic manufacture due to its flexibility. Based on the introduction of principle and features of μLSF, the pressure model, constitutive model and processing methods of μLSF are analyzed, and the key technologies in μLSF are discussed. After summarizing the research status about the quality and performance of the forming surface induced by μLSF, the problems existing in current research of μLSF are pointed out. Finally, expectations of future studies on μLSF are brought forward.