diff --git a/manifold/src/backends/particle-backend.ts b/manifold/src/backends/particle-backend.ts
index fee1ef0..3e270df 100644
--- a/manifold/src/backends/particle-backend.ts
+++ b/manifold/src/backends/particle-backend.ts
@@ -23,13 +23,13 @@ import type { BackendStatus } from './backend';
 
 export class ParticleBackend extends PassthroughBackend {
   constructor() {
-    super('particles', 'Particle visualiser — outputs drive the flow field (no audio)');
+    super('particles', 'ready');
   }
 
   override status(): BackendStatus {
     return {
       state: 'ready',
-      message: 'Particle visualiser — outputs drive the flow field (no audio)',
+      message: 'ready',
     };
   }
 }
diff --git a/manifold/src/console/output-mode.ts b/manifold/src/console/output-mode.ts
index 69f183a..bf3e7e5 100644
--- a/manifold/src/console/output-mode.ts
+++ b/manifold/src/console/output-mode.ts
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ export const OUTPUT_MODES: readonly OutputModeDescriptor[] = [
   {
     id: 'particles',
     label: 'Particle System',
-    description: 'Flow-field visualiser driven by the model outputs (no audio).',
+    description: 'Visual output.',
     audio: false,
     backend: 'particles',
   },