Can Apple Fix M1 Mac Dual Display Issue as Software Update?

[Auv-vision]

Hi Everyone,

Like most of you, I'm disappointed with having a dual monitor setup that does not work with my m1 MacBook pro. I was curious what the stance is on if this is a hardware or a software issue? I.e can Apple just add another display in an upcoming OS update for Big Sur.

I thought that since the Mac Mini has default support for 2 external monitors and is run on the same chip, this might be something to do with Software but I'm not entirely sure.

Just want to put my head to rest in the event that this is a hardware issue I can just buy a DisplayLink adapter and get it over with.

Thanks!

 

[Maconplasma]

I've only heard some people achieved multiple external displays by some workarounds but it was not an ideal solution. Pretty sure it's a hardware design and not software. The obvious reason why the Mac mini supports two displays (one on TB and one on HDMI) is because it has no display. The M1 AIR and Pro are running their own display plus one external so that's essentially two displays like the mini. BTW I'm not stating BS, I'm reading this from the Apple website.
Chances are good that Apple wants to position the M1 as an entry level system. Models like the upcoming 16" and perhaps the 14" will both have an upgraded Apple Silicon that runs multiple external displays.

 

[chrfr]

Hi Everyone,

Like most of you, I'm disappointed with having a dual monitor setup that does not work with my m1 MacBook pro. I was curious what the stance is on if this is a hardware or a software issue? I.e can Apple just add another display in an upcoming OS update for Big Sur.

I thought that since the Mac Mini has default support for 2 external monitors and is run on the same chip, this might be something to do with Software but I'm not entirely sure.

It's a hardware limitation. Both the M1 portables and Mac mini can drive 2 screens. It just happens that the portables already have 1 screen.

 

[xraydoc]

It's a hardware limitation. Both the M1 portables and Mac mini can drive 2 screens. It just happens that the portables already have 1 screen.

Yep. This is the answer. I suspect the design means the internal display can't be disabled from the video subsystem even when in clamshell mode. Presumably a new SOC design will be required to overcome this design limitation of the M1.
I would guess that the upcoming 16" MBP (or whatever larger form factor) will not be limited to only one external display.

 

[Veeper]

It’s too bad too. We were hoping to replace some of our aging fleet MacBooks with the M1 Air, but the accounting staff need 2 external displays. Crossing my fingers that there’s a low cost version of the next step up because the horsepower on the 8g/256g $999 MBA is light years beyond what our fleet needs are.

 

[xraydoc]

It’s too bad too. We were hoping to replace some of our aging fleet MacBooks with the M1 Air, but the accounting staff need 2 external displays. Crossing my fingers that there’s a low cost version of the next step up because the horsepower on the 8g/256g $999 MBA is light years beyond what our fleet needs are.

Replace the two external monitors with a single ultrawide?

 

[hym17519]

I just ran into this issue since I was upgraded to a silicon today. The solution is to download displaylink -- works perfectly now with two external monitors.

 

[jcris90]

Replace the two external monitors with a single ultrawide?

yea but it costs like 4 times more for the same setup. Mine is 2x 1980x1080 which is equivalent to 3960x1080, price ~$250 total. The ultrawide for the same resolution will cost over $1K.

Somebody very smart decided in Apple that 2 monitors are too much. So typical for this company.

 

[jdb8167]

yea but it costs like 4 times more for the same setup. Mine is 2x 1980x1080 which is equivalent to 3960x1080, price ~$250 total. The ultrawide for the same resolution will cost over $1K.

Somebody very smart decided in Apple that 2 monitors are too much. So typical for this company.

The majority of users probably don't use even a single external display. I'd guess the number of users who used 2 or more displays on a lower-end Intel MacBook/mini was less than 10%. Apple used the transistor budget on the M1 SoC for other things than a beefier display controller. I'm reasonably sure that the next generation Apple Silicon SoC coming in the next few weeks (probably) will allow at least 2 6K Thunderbolt/Display Port displays.

 

[SupremeMayo]

It is super unfortunate that this is most likely a hardware limitation of this iteration of Apple Silicon. Fortunately Sidecar is still an option if you’re looking to use three displays, but this can be expensive and impractical for some.

 

[xraydoc]

yea but it costs like 4 times more for the same setup. Mine is 2x 1980x1080 which is equivalent to 3960x1080, price ~$250 total. The ultrawide for the same resolution will cost over $1K.

Somebody very smart decided in Apple that 2 monitors are too much. So typical for this company.

Well, the M1 is entry-level, so not terribly surprising there's a two-display limit. But new hardware should be on the verge of release.

 

[dogslobber]

I just ran into this issue since I was upgraded to a silicon today. The solution is to download displaylink -- works perfectly now with two external monitors.

You can use a couple of DisplayLink dongles and they work perfectly as the functionality is build into Big Sur.

 

[Hessel89]

Two (or more) screens work perfectly. You just can't connect two 5K screens. That's probably too much pixels for the M1 to handle.

 

[macsplusmacs]

New minis better have support for 4 5K displays or...

or well nothing i guess. it will just suck if they can't.

 

[pshufd]

New minis better have support for 4 5K displays or...

or well nothing i guess. it will just suck if they can't.

It would be interesting if it does. I have 3x4K + 1xQHD. My plan is to run two off the M1X mini and two off my current M1 mini and could stop using my Windows desktop. It's possible that I replace everything with an M1X but I suspect that I'd prefer an M1X + M1.

 

[nunezger]

I just ran into this issue since I was upgraded to a silicon today. The solution is to download displaylink -- works perfectly now with two external monitors.

Download the DisplayLink driver AND buy a DisplayLink enabled USB adapter. I have the Hyperdrive Viper 10-2 USB-C hub featuring 2 HDMI ports but it's not DisplayLink enabled so it does not work with the driver.

 

[tommiy]

Displaylink is only useful if you want to run native resolution or 1920x1080. EVerything else is low res. On a 4k display its blurry and really unusable if you need to stare at the monitor for work all day. There has been oustanding requests on the displaylink to add other hiDPI resolutions for the last year without any response. I guess that this is probably a apple issue that displaylink can not solve. Short answer, don't rush into displaylink as the answer without first looking through the forums on the issues and problems that exist.

 

[pshufd]

Displaylink is only useful if you want to run native resolution or 1920x1080. EVerything else is low res. On a 4k display its blurry and really unusable if you need to stare at the monitor for work all day. There has been oustanding requests on the displaylink to add other hiDPI resolutions for the last year without any response. I guess that this is probably a apple issue that displaylink can not solve. Short answer, don't rush into displaylink as the answer without first looking through the forums on the issues and problems that exist.

If you need multiple monitors, get multiple Mac minis. I've used DisplayLink in the past with WSXGA and HD monitors but they didn't support QHD and 4k back then. I don't know if there's enough bandwidth through their bus interface to support 4k.

 

[colinsky]

DisplayLink Manager was updated to version 1.5 on 9/8/21. Among other things, it introduces "additional inferred resolutions on 4K monitors: 2560x1440 and 3008x1692 on Intel based Macs."

 

[tommiy]

Yes saves you pushing the option button with scaled selection. Believe from the feedback it still results in lowres even on intel. Only answer for monitors with resolutions greater than 1920x1080 is if the next mac supports multiple monitors. Otherwise you have native 4k with text really small or 1920x1080 with really large text. Or a low res blurry text for anything in between. There has been a feature request for display link to suport hidpi at other resolutions for almost a year.

 

[Lihp8270]

DisplayLink Manager was updated to version 1.5 on 9/8/21. Among other things, it introduces "additional inferred resolutions on 4K monitors: 2560x1440 and 3008x1692 on Intel based Macs."

Doesn’t help with M1 though.

 

[MacGizmo]

yea but it costs like 4 times more for the same setup...
Somebody very smart decided in Apple that 2 monitors are too much. So typical for this company.

Yet another who wants to buy the consumer-level base model computer and expect it to have pro-level features. So typical for people complaining about price.

 

[meson]

My instinct is that the hardware limit is intentional to begin forcing users to consider over-the-air display solutions. The GPU in the M1 is certainly capable of driving a lot of pixels.

It's not something that I need for my workflow. One external display is plenty when working on most tasks. While teaching remotely adding an iPad connected via Sidecar to the combo (either wired or wirelessly) works great. Additionally, I found when working from home at my bar/work-from-home desk, that I can connect to my external display, the iPad in Sidecar as well as my TV via builtin
AirPlay 2 (43" 4k TV @ 1080p). If needed the TV takes up a similar portion of my field of view as the 21.5" display next to me. The ability to use 4 displays at once is not too shabby in my opinion.

At some point AirPlay 3 will come and Apple will try to remove display cords from our desks. This is where something like an Apple TV dongle could make itself really worthwhile. Turn any display into an external display and, if needed, the ability to quickly calibrate the display using software via iPhone (although there is still work to be done on that front).

Yet another who wants to buy the consumer-level base model computer and expect it to have pro-level features. So typical for people complaining about price.

To be fair, the current M1 Pro is a 'Pro' level device that had multi-display capabilities removed (I'm not sure if the previous model Air had the ability to drive multiple external displays or not). Apple is well known for reducing connectivity without dongles, but generally doesn't take steps backward on capability.

 

[tommiy]

I have a Raspberry Pi4 that has support for 4k@60Hz dual monitors and it cost $100. Many are referring that simply because Apple decided the M1 did not support dual monitors on the M1 that changes the baseline of whats in the market. This was obviously an Apple decision and nothing really to do with the definition of pro or consumer level. Besides that my Pi works well with 2 4k monitors. My M1 will work with only 1.

 

[pshufd]

I have a Raspberry Pi4 that has support for 4k@60Hz dual monitors and it cost $100. Many are referring that simply because Apple decided the M1 did not support dual monitors on the M1 that changes the baseline of whats in the market. This was obviously an Apple decision and nothing really to do with the definition of pro or consumer level. Besides that my Pi works well with 2 4k monitors. My M1 will work with only 1.

My M1 mini works fine with two monitors. Is the Raspberry Pi4 a laptop?