Low Contrast / Washed-Out Theme Rendering in Cursor (Compared to VS Code)

I’m noticing a recurring issue where themes in Cursor (v1.0.0) sometimes appear with reduced contrast or a washed-out appearance, especially in syntax highlighting. Code elements appear dull and are harder to distinguish compared to how the same themes render in VS Code.

This doesn’t happen all the time — it occurs randomly. Sometimes it fixes itself when I close and reopen files. Other times I have to restart Cursor or even reboot the system to resolve it.

What I’ve Tried:

  • Changing themes
  • Deleting and reinstalling the theme
  • Restarting Cursor and system
  • Verifying contrast differences by opening the same file side-by-side in VS Code

System Info:

  • OS: Windows 10
  • Cursor Version: 1.0.0
  • Theme used: GitHub Theme (Dark)

VScode

vs

Cursor

2 Likes

Having the same issue, but haven’t been able to find an answer or a solution anywhere. Let us know if you find a solution or a reponse from Cursor team please. I hope they will fix this soon! It’s very annoying sometimes

1 Like

I get this as well, using the Monokai theme

I am also experiencing this problem. I have tried “force-color-profile”: “srgb” in argv.json, but it did not help. I have tried customizing the theme, but it has not helped either. I have tried every built-in theme and the problem persists.

I notice the during boot-up, the colors are accurate for a split second and then they become tinted/darkened/dull.