VGA System 16 palette

The default Windows/VGA sixteen: the palette of early icons, cursors, and toolbars. All 16 hex codes are listed below, free to copy or to save straight into your MagicPixel account.

VGA System 16 hex codes

Click any swatch to copy its hex value. The full set is free to use in MagicPixel, Aseprite, GIMP, Godot, Unity, or anywhere else you need it.

Palettes similar to VGA System 16

Macintosh 16

16 colors

The classic Mac OS 16: clean primaries plus a proper gray ramp for interface pixel art.

Apple (system)

ui
retro
high-contrast

Amstrad CPC Sampler

16 colors

Sixteen of the Amstrad CPC’s 27 firm-hued colors: blunt primaries with just enough mid tones to shade.

Amstrad (hardware)

console
retro
high-contrast

Atari ST

16 colors

The default Atari ST 16: full-strength hues plus their halves, the classic demo-scene starting point.

Atari (hardware)

retro
16-color
high-contrast

CGA 16

16 colors

The IBM CGA 16-color set every DOS game grew up on: harsh, saturated, unmistakably 1985.

IBM (hardware)

console
retro
high-contrast

Master System Sampler

16 colors

A 16-color slice of the Master System VDP: two-bit-per-channel steps, arcade-bright.

Sega (hardware)

console
retro
16-color

NES Sampler

16 colors

A working 16-color slice of the NES master palette, kept to hues the PPU can actually pair.

Nintendo (hardware)

console
retro
high-contrast