You asked, so we built it!
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Credit: Aurich Lawson | Getty Images
Like many sites, apps, and operating systems, Ars Technica has both "Light" and "Dark" visual styles. They look great! But even the "Light" mode has darker elements in it, and after our recent redesign, some Ars readers asked for an even lighter "Light" mode, one that would allow them to absolutely sear their own retinas with various shades of blinding white. (I kid, of course; for some readers, it's a serious visual comfort issue.)
We've spent the last month working up a third visual style to give the people what they want. Behold the fully armed and operational "Hyperlight" mode, our new visual theme featuring a white background, light gray headline boxes, and black text. You can activate it right now from the visual style menu on the navigation bar at the top of the page.
In total, we now have four visual modes. Hyperlight is the brightest of these, while Day & Night is our rebranded "Light mode" and mixes light and dark elements. Dark is all dark backgrounds with light text. The fourth mode is System, which automatically switches between Day & Night and Dark modes based on your operating system setting. (System will not switch the site to Hyperlight.)
Enjoy the new mode, and please do let us know if you have any feedback or further suggestions for cool new visual options. In 2025, we hope to roll out some terrific retro themes that will be exclusive to subscribers.
Which reminds me—the holiday season is a great time to subscribe to Ars for just $25 a year. (Or you can drop hints to your family about what a great gift an Ars sub would make.) A couple of bucks per month removes all ads and trackers; the site looks great and loads incredibly fast. If you value speed and information density, this is the way to get it.
Subs also get some exclusive viewing options, full-text RSS feeds, and PDF downloads—and will of course already be set up for all the new stuff we'll roll out to subs in the new year. Best of all, you'll be supporting Ars Technica and its fully unionized staff at a time when journalism across the globe is under pressure. Thanks!