Matrix Screensaver
Cascading digital rain with adjustable speed, color, character set and font size.
Quick answer
What is the Matrix Screensaver?
The Matrix screensaver shows columns of falling green characters, the "digital rain" made famous by the 1999 film The Matrix. It runs in your browser in fullscreen, and you can change the color, speed and character size for a desk, TV or streaming background.
Key features
- Falling katakana, digits and symbols
- Color, speed and character size controls
- Fullscreen with hidden cursor
- Smooth on high-refresh screens
Why use it
- Iconic look for idle screens and streams
- No screensaver install on Windows or macOS
- Free
Built and tested by Whitson Rao
About the Matrix Screensaver
Watch cascading green code rain down your screen, inspired by the famous film effect. Change the color, speed, density and characters.
How the digital rain is drawn
Each column has a single falling drop. Every step, the screen is dimmed slightly, the old leading character is redrawn in the trail color and a new bright character is drawn one row lower. The gradual dimming creates the fading trails, and random characters on every step give the flickering look.
Speed controls how often the rain moves down, density controls how many columns are raining at once, and character size changes the number of columns on your screen.
Using it on a TV or second monitor
Set the character size larger for TVs viewed from a distance, and lower the density for a calmer look. Katakana gives the classic film style, while binary and alphanumeric suit hacker-themed parties or streams. For more effects, try Hacker Typer or the Hacked Screen Simulator.
How to use the Matrix Screensaver
The rain starts immediately in the preview.
Adjust speed, density and font size, or pick another color.
Choose katakana, binary or Latin characters.
Press F or click Fullscreen to fill your display, and press Esc to exit.
Common uses
Screensaver
Leave it running on an idle monitor.
Tech ambiance
Background visuals for streams, offices or events.
Video backdrops
Record a “cyber” background for videos.
Costume parties
Set the scene for a sci-fi themed night.
Frequently asked questions
What characters does the Matrix rain use?
The original effect used mirrored half-width katakana mixed with numbers. You can choose that or binary and Latin characters here.
Can I make it a real screensaver?
Browsers cannot install system screensavers, but you can open it in fullscreen when you step away. The screen wake lock keeps the display on.
Will it slow down my computer?
It is lightweight. Lower the density on older devices for smoother animation.