A swirling plasma drawn entirely in characters, from quiet dots to dense @ signs.
A swirling plasma drawn entirely in characters, from quiet dots to dense @ signs.
In the app you can adjust the colours and columns. It runs natively on your Mac, drawn live in real time – no video, never quite the same twice.
Use it on your Mac
- Get SCRNSVRS free from the Mac App Store.
- Select ASCII Plasma in the library.
- Click Set as Screensaver or Set as Wallpaper – or both.
Preview free · macOS Tahoe 26 or laterNeed a hand? Read the setup guide.
ASCII Plasma FAQ
How do I set ASCII Plasma as my screensaver on a Mac?
Install SCRNSVRS free from the Mac App Store, select ASCII Plasma in the library and click Set as Screensaver. macOS starts it whenever your Mac is idle, exactly like a built-in screensaver.
Can I use ASCII Plasma as a live wallpaper?
Yes. Click Set as Wallpaper in SCRNSVRS and ASCII Plasma plays on your desktop behind your windows and icons. You can use it as screensaver and wallpaper at the same time.
Is ASCII Plasma free?
ASCII Plasma is included in SCRNSVRS Unlimited. It's free for your first 7 days; after that Unlimited is $1.99/month or $9.99/year (€1.99/month or €9.99/year) for every screensaver, including new ones. It can also come up in Free this month, when 25 premium screensavers are free for everyone.
Is ASCII Plasma a video loop?
No. ASCII Plasma is rendered live on your Mac with Metal, so it never repeats and stays sharp on any display size. The clip on this page is a screen recording of the real thing.
Will ASCII Plasma slow down my Mac or drain the battery?
No. SCRNSVRS drops to 30 fps on battery and stops rendering when the wallpaper is covered by a full-screen app, so ASCII Plasma costs next to nothing in everyday use.
Which Macs does ASCII Plasma run on?
ASCII Plasma needs macOS Tahoe 26 or later.
