Just opened it up on my machine (2019 Macbook Pro)- 65MB with no files opened. No idea how you're getting to almost 10x that.
Edit: My bad, apparently I didn't count all processes.
Edit: My bad, apparently I didn't count all processes.
Launching it with no files open, the total private+shared memory adds up to ~300 MB. Screenshot of macOS Activity Monitor:
This memory usage is roughly the same on Windows 10 Task Manager:
In contrast, the so-called "heavier" classic Visual Studio 2019 v16.5 (devenv.exe) with no files open, Task Manager stats shows it using less than ~200 MB.
I think some folks get the impression VSCode is "lightweight" because the GUI/UI is lightweight. VSCode is less "busy" looking... less menu options, no ribbon with icons, less multi-panels of properties, etc. VSCode's GUI looks more like a bare-bones "text editor" than an IDE.