The 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro is the only model in the lineup that cannot drive more than one external display, but Apple will fix this omission in software.
The company tells 9to5Mac it’s working on a macOS software update that’ll enable the base 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro model to use two external displays when the lid is closed, which is also how the new M3 MacBook Air handles multi-display support.
Apple to add multi-display support to M3 MacBook Pro
Clamshell mode enables a Mac laptop to stay awake even with the lid closed when connected to an external display, keyboard and mouse/trackpad. Clamshell mode works a little differently on the new M3 MacBook Air, where opening the lid immediately shuts down one of the two external displays.
This is also how clamshell mode will work on the 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro following Apple’s update. By contrast, clamshell mode on Pro, Max and Ultra-branded Mac systems doesn’t shut down any external displays if you open the lid.
How many displays do standard Mac chips support?
All standard M1, M2 and M3 chips incorporate two display controllers. One controller is wired to the built-in display, and the other drives an external display. What Apple’s software update will do is enable the operating system to use the controller for the built-in display on an external display port in situations when the lid is closed.
This is a regression from Intel-based MacBook Airs, which supported two external displays with the lid open for the built-in display. For further info, peruse Apple’s support document outlining how many displays you can connect to a MacBook Pro.
Software-based hardware restrictions
Apple made several compromises to make the base M3 MacBook Pro $400 cheaper, and restricting multi-display support to a single external screen is among them. This feels like an intentional move supposed to nudge me toward pricier M3 Pro and M3 Max systems—just what good ol’ Uncle Apple wants.
I know writing firmwares takes time. But it sure feels to me like it’s taking Apple forever to implement multi-display support for the M1, M2 and M3 chips. After all, the first Apple silicon Macs debuted back in 2020 during the pandemic!
As they say, better late than never—but tell that to folks who begrudgingly spent extra cash on pricier M3 Pro and M3 Max MacBook Pro configurations just because they wanted to use more than one external display, but Apple wouldn’t let them.