The solution is to set alias default. In the OS terminal run -

nvm alias default 7.8.0

Open vscode, now running node -v returns 7.8.0

It seems vscode takes up this (alias default) value and not the node version that is set by nvm use X.X.X

Restart VS code for it to pick up the changes.

Answer from A G on Stack Overflow
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SheCodes
shecodes.io › athena › 28394-how-to-check-node-version-in-vs-code
[VS Code] - How to Check Node Version in VS Code - SheCodes | SheCodes
Learn how to easily check the version of Node.js being used in your VS Code environment using the integrated terminal or npm.
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GitHub
github.com › microsoft › vscode › issues › 11660
How to find out which node vscode is using · Issue #11660 · microsoft/vscode
September 8, 2016 - It would be great if you could specifically set a node version inside of vscode to be used that overrides the automagically found version...
Published   Sep 08, 2016
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Visual Studio Code
code.visualstudio.com › docs › nodejs › nodejs-tutorial
Node.js tutorial in Visual Studio Code
November 3, 2021 - To test that you have Node.js installed correctly on your computer, open a new terminal and type node --version and you should see the current Node.js version installed.
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Visual Studio Code
code.visualstudio.com › docs › nodejs › nodejs-debugging
Node.js debugging in VS Code
November 3, 2021 - The current VS Code JavaScript debugger supports Node version at or above 8.x, recent Chrome versions, and recent Edge versions (via the msedge launch type). In case you didn't already read the Node.js section, take a look at: Node.js - End to end Node scenario with a sample application · To see a tutorial on the basics of debugging in VS Code, check out this video:
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FROMDEV
fromdev.com › home › 2025 › january
How to Set Node.js Version in VS Code - FROMDEV
January 20, 2025 - Wrong Node.js Version in VS Code: If VS Code isn’t using the correct version, verify your terminal’s configuration file and ensure you’ve set the desired version. .nvmrc Not Working: Check for typos in the .nvmrc file and ensure you’ve run nvm use in the terminal.
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Hellosunday
hellosunday.ca › Vierte4 › how-to-check-node-version-in-visual-studio-code
How To Check Node Version In Visual Studio Code
November 22, 2024 - Open the Integrated Terminal: In VS Code, go to View > Terminal (or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + (Windows) or Cmd + (macOS)). This opens a terminal window within VS Code. Run the node -v command: Type node -v (or node --version) and press Enter. ...
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Mypcdc
mypcdc.ca › 4seo › how-to-check-node-version-in-vscode
How To Check Node Version In Vscode
November 23, 2024 - To check its version, type npm -v and press Enter. This will show you the npm version installed alongside your Node.js version. Important Note: The terminal's Node.js version reflects the globally installed version on your system.
Find elsewhere
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Microsoft Learn
learn.microsoft.com › en-us › answers › questions › 5541432 › nodejs-version-in-vscode-terminal-wont-update
NodeJS version in VSCode terminal won't update - Microsoft Q&A
Vs code just uses the node version in the path. Maybe you installed the update in a new location. You can check the path in the terminal.
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Visual Studio Code
code.visualstudio.com › docs › nodejs › working-with-javascript
Working with JavaScript
November 3, 2021 - Run npm --version from a terminal or command prompt to quickly check that npm is installed and available. npm is installed with the Node.js runtime, which is available for download from Nodejs.org.
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8

Edit: There's a new repo with version table: https://github.com/ewanharris/vscode-versions

One way to find which version of NodeJS ships with each version of VSCode is to check the Electron version being bundled with it. For example, VSCode version 1.51.1 installs Electron 9.3.3 and this Electron version uses Node version 12.14 as you can see at the electron releases table.

Below are the Node/Electron versions VSCode uses on each version for easy reference:

VSCode Node Electron Chrome
1.75.x 16.14.2 19.1.9 102.0.5005.194
1.74.x 16.14.2 19.1.8 102.0.5005.167
1.73.x 16.14.2 19.0.17 102.0.5005.167
1.72.x 16.14.2 19.0.17 102.0.5005.167
1.71.x 16.14.2 19.0.12 102.0.5005.167
1.70.x 16.13.2 18.3.5 100.0.4896.160
1.69.x 16.13.2 18.3.5 100.0.4896.160
1.68.x 16.13.0 17.4.7 98.0.4758.141
1.67.x 16.13.0 17.4.1 98.0.4758.141
1.66.x 16.13.0 17.2.0 98.0.4758.109
1.65.x 14.16.0 13.5.2 91.0.4472.164
1.64.x 14.16.0 13.5.2 91.0.4472.164
1.63.x 14.16.0 13.5.2 91.0.4472.164
1.62.x 14.16.0 13.5.2 91.0.4472.164
1.61.x 14.16.0 13.5.1 91.0.4472.164
1.60.x 14.16.0 13.1.8 91.0.4472.164
1.59.x 14.16.0 13.1.7 91.0.4472.124
1.58.x 14.16.0 12.0.13 89.0.4389.128
1.57.x 14.16.0 12.0.7 89.0.4389.128
1.56.x 14.16.0 12.0.4 89.0.4389.114
1.55.x 12.18.3 11.3.0 87.0.4280.141
1.54.x 12.18.3 11.3.0 87.0.4280.141
1.53.x 12.18.3 11.2.1 87.0.4280.141
1.52.x 12.14.1 9.3.5 83.0.4103.122
1.51.x 12.14.1 9.3.3 83.0.4103.122
1.50.x 12.14.1 9.2.1 83.0.4103.122
1.49.x 12.14.1 9.2.1 83.0.4103.122
1.48.x 12.8.1 7.3.2 78.0.3904.130
1.47.x 12.8.1 7.3.2 78.0.3904.130
1.46.x 12.8.1 7.3.1 78.0.3904.130
1.45.x 12.8.1 7.2.4 78.0.3904.130
1.44.x 12.8.1 7.1.11 78.0.3904.130
1.43.x 12.8.1 7.1.11 78.0.3904.130
1.42.x 12.4.0 6.1.6 76.0.3809.146
1.41.x 12.4.0 6.1.6 76.0.3809.146
1.40.x 12.4.0 6.1.6 76.0.3809.146
1.39.x 10.11.0 4.2.10 69.0.3497.128
1.38.x 10.11.0 4.2.10 69.0.3497.128
1.37.x 10.11.0 4.2.10 69.0.3497.128
1.36.x 10.11.0 4.2.10 69.0.3497.128
1.35.x 10.2.0 3.1.8 66.0.3359.181
1.34.x 10.2.0 3.1.8 66.0.3359.181
1.33.x 10.2.0 3.1.6 66.0.3359.181
1.32.x 10.2.0 3.1.6 66.0.3359.181
1.31.x 10.2.0 3.1.2 66.0.3359.181
1.30.x 8.9.3 2.0.12 61.0.3163.100
1.29.x 8.9.3 2.0.12 61.0.3163.100
1.28.x 8.9.3 2.0.9 61.0.3163.100
1.27.x 8.9.3 2.0.7 61.0.3163.100
1.26.x 8.9.3 2.0.5 61.0.3163.100
1.25.x 7.9.0 1.7.12 58.0.3029.110

To easily check which version ships with VSCode just take a look at the .yarnrc file in the root folder of VSCode source code and select the version tag in the Switch branches or tags on GitHub.

2 of 3
1

I've landed at this question page one too many times :)

I've developed VSCode Version Matrix github action (source code), to help me get it on the fly in my pipeline runs.
This might be handy for people who are testing their VSCode extensions in Github Actions.

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Medium
medium.com › @leonardorick › setup-vscode-to-always-use-the-right-node-version-244586ca934e
Setup VSCode to always use the right Node version | by Leonardo Rick | Medium
June 11, 2023 - Now, whenever you open a new terminal in your VSCode workspace, it will load the Node.js version specified in the `.nvmrc` file, saving you a ton of manual version management headaches.
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YouTube
youtube.com › watch
How to Switch Between Node Versions in Visual Studio Code using Node Version Manager (nvm) - YouTube
In this tutorial, I'll show you how to switch between node versions in Visual Studio Code using node version manager (nvm) and the terminal window. I will al...
Published   May 14, 2023
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Webucator
webucator.com › catalog › web development › javascript
Node.js and Node Package Manager (npm) | Webucator
Node Package Manager (npm) is the default package manager for Node.js. It is used for installing, upgrading, configuring, and removing modules used by Node.js applications. Open a terminal in Visual Studio Code by selecting Terminal > New Terminal. ... If the version ...
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Artoon Solutions
artoonsolutions.com › home › how to check node version rapidly | your quick guide
How to Check Node Version Quickly | Here's Your Guide
April 28, 2025 - Read More: Exploring Nodejs Performance Monitoring Techniques · If you are using Visual Studio Code, one of the most widely used code editors, you can view your Node.js version by opening the integrated terminal and running the command node -v.
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GeeksforGeeks
geeksforgeeks.org › node.js › how-to-install-node-run-npm-in-vs-code
How to Install Node & Run NPM in VS Code? - GeeksforGeeks
July 23, 2025 - Follow the steps to check that Node.js and npm is properly installed in your device. open command prompt (cmd) ... Step 6: To check Node installation, type Node -v command in command prompt.