Yes. MIT licensed, no paid tier. Source is [github.com/arxdsilva/win95](https://github.com/arxdsilva/win95). Issues and pull requests go there.

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win95 v2.0.0 and v2.0.1: A Windows 95 Theme for VS Code and Cursor

Q: How do I install the win95 theme in Cursor?

Open the Extensions view, search for `win95`, and install `asilva.win95`. Cursor pulls that listing from Open VSX. Then run **Preferences: Color Theme** (`Cmd+K Cmd+T` on macOS) and select **win95**, or set `"workbench.colorTheme": "win95"` in `settings.json`.

By Arthur Silva • 2026-09-14 • 6 min read

VS Code Cursor Theme Open Source Open VSX

win95 is a free Windows 95 light color theme for Visual Studio Code, Cursor and VSCodium: a silver-gray #C0C0C0 editor, a navy #00007F activity bar and a teal #018283 status bar, with syntax colors tuned to stay readable on that gray. v2.0.0 reworked the palette. v2.0.1 puts the same theme on Open VSX — which is where Cursor, VSCodium and Windsurf actually install extensions. Patch to v2.0.1.

What win95 is
v2.0.0: the palette rewrite
v2.0.1: Open VSX, listing, and docs
Install and activate
Override a single color
FAQ

What win95 is

A color theme. Extension ID asilva.win95. Light only, MIT licensed, and not an operating system — it does not boot Windows 95, play MIDI, or give you Solitaire. It paints the editor chrome in the colors that interface actually used, then keeps syntax highlighting distinct enough to read Go, TypeScript, Python, Rust, HTML, CSS, JSON and Markdown on a gray background.

I first shipped it in 2019. The 0.x versions were closer to a novelty: VGA navy keywords, teal variables, purple numbers. Fun for a screenshot, tiring for a workday. v2 is the version I would leave on.

If you want another desktop tool from this site, Vault is the search-first file manager.

win95 VS Code theme showing Go code on a silver-gray editor with a navy activity bar, teal status bar and integrated terminal

v2.0.0: the palette rewrite

Tagged 12 October 2023. The work is in the refactor for better readability commit: keep the Windows 95 chrome, replace the syntax colors that fought the gray.

Interface stays period-correct:

Element	Color
Editor background	`#C0C0C0` silver gray
Editor text	`#303030`
Activity bar	`#00007F` navy
Status bar	`#018283` teal
Tab bar	`#E5E6BE` khaki
Inactive tabs, gutter	`#D3D3D3`
Selection	`#ADD8E6` light blue
Current line	`#EFEFEF`
Line numbers	`#808080`
Errors / warnings / info	`#FF0000` / `#FFA500` / `#008000`

Syntax is the part that changed. Keywords, strings, numbers, functions and types now sit far enough apart that a func declaration, a string literal and a type name don’t collapse into one navy-green smear:

Token	Color
Comments	`#008000` green
Keywords	`#4B83CD` blue
Strings	`#448C27` green
Numbers and constants (`true`, `nil`)	`#AB6526` orange
Function names	`#AA3731` red, bold
Types and classes	`#7A3E9D` purple, bold
Operators	`#000000` black
Punctuation	`#777777` gray

v2.0.0 went to the VS Code Marketplace only. Cursor and VSCodium never saw it.

v2.0.1: Open VSX, listing, and docs

Tagged 14 September 2026. The theme JSON did not move. The distribution did. Diff: v2.0.0…v2.0.1.

VS Code installs from the Marketplace. Cursor, VSCodium and Windsurf install from Open VSX. A Marketplace-only theme is invisible in those editors’ Extensions view. v2.0.1 publishes the same VSIX to both.

The listing is also actually searchable now. displayName is win95 - Windows 95 Theme instead of win95. The description names the colors. Keywords cover windows 95, retro, light theme, 90s — the queries people type when they are not already looking for this extension ID. The README has install steps, the palette tables above, and an FAQ.

A v* tag now publishes both registries in one GitHub Actions run. Changelog: CHANGELOG.md.

Install and activate

VS Code (Marketplace):

Extensions view: Ctrl+Shift+X (Cmd+Shift+X on macOS), search win95, Install.
Quick Open: Ctrl+P (Cmd+P) then ext install asilva.win95.
CLI: code --install-extension asilva.win95

Cursor, VSCodium, Windsurf (Open VSX): search win95 in the Extensions view and install from there.

Then Ctrl+K Ctrl+T (Cmd+K Cmd+T) and pick win95, or set it in settings.json:

"workbench.colorTheme": "win95"

Override a single color

Scoped to this theme so it does not leak into Dark+ the next time you switch:

"workbench.colorCustomizations": {
  "[win95]": {
    "editor.background": "#BFBFBF"
  }
},
"editor.tokenColorCustomizations": {
  "[win95]": {
    "comments": "#006400"
  }
}

To leave, pick another theme from the same Color Theme picker. Uninstall asilva.win95 from the Extensions view if you want it gone.

FAQ

Does win95 work in Cursor, VSCodium or Windsurf?

Yes, as of v2.0.1. Those editors install from Open VSX, not the VS Code Marketplace, so a Marketplace-only listing never appeared in their Extensions view. Search for win95 there, or open open-vsx.org/extension/asilva/win95. VS Code still installs from the Marketplace as before.

Is there a dark version of win95?

No. win95 is a light theme only, the same way the original Windows 95 interface was. If you want a dark editor with 90s chrome, that is a different theme, not a setting on this one.

Is win95 free?

Yes. MIT licensed, no paid tier. Source is github.com/arxdsilva/win95. Issues and pull requests go there.

How do I install the win95 theme in Cursor?

Open the Extensions view, search for win95, and install asilva.win95. Cursor pulls that listing from Open VSX. Then run Preferences: Color Theme (Cmd+K Cmd+T on macOS) and select win95, or set "workbench.colorTheme": "win95" in settings.json.