There are many code editor choices available for a developer however Visual Studio code is my current favorite. VS Code is a lightweight editor which is easily customizable via extensions to suit any programming environment setup. It is available on Windows, Mac as well as Linux, which is a plus if you have many work environments.
VS Code has an excellent support for themes which are available in both light and dark versions. While hunting for a dark theme for VS Code, I came across many great options which I am listing below. I am currently using ‘Cobalt Next’ theme for my own setup. However you may want to check these dark themes before choosing your own:
VS Code Dark Themes (Pre-installed themes)
VS Code ships with a bunch of pre-installed themes and has some great dark colored themes. You can preview and switch through these themes by going through File > Preferences > Color Theme (Code > Preferences > Color Theme on Mac) in menu.
The Dark+ theme which is the default dark theme of VS Code and the Monokai theme are two great options for dark theme lovers.
Dark+ (VS Code Default Dark Theme)
VS Code Monokai Theme (Pre-Installed)
VS Code Dark Themes (Extensions)
Apart from the pre-installed themes, you can find many more themes for VS Code in its extensions marketplace. Below I have selected some of the best ones I could find that do nice job in syntax highlighting of many different programming languages and provide coherent color scheme to the entire VS code interface including the status bar.
1. Cobalt Next by David Leininger
2. Gatito Theme by Paweł Grzybek
3. Dracula Official by Dracula Theme
4. Atom One Dark Theme by Mahmoud Ali
5. Material Theme by Mattia Astorino
6. Material Palenight Theme by whizkydee
7. Monokai Pro by monokai
8. Panda Theme by Panda Theme
9. Slime Theme by smlombardi
10. Cobalt2 by Wes Bos
With so many good options available for a dark theme in Visual Studio Code, it is hard to pick just one as favorite. Currently, I am using ‘Cobalt Next” theme for my VS Code which has an even darker version for a more subtle color palette which is soothing on the eye for long programming hours. Which other dark themes for VSCode are your favorite?
Don’t forget to check out my collection of VS Code light themes too.