M3 MacBook Pro users just got a killer free software upgrade

If you're a fan of Apple, chances are you own one of the best MacBooks on the market. While other products in their range may take the limelight, the Mac lineup remains incredibly strong, with almost nothing able to come close in terms of performance.

The latest M3 MacBook Pro models offer a wealth of performance benefits, bringing heavy-duty horsepower to the range. Our reviewer went as far as to call it a "desktop PC in laptop form."

Now, users of that model are getting a nifty free software upgrade – and it brings a long-awaited feature along with it. The latest macOS Sonoma 14.6 update brings the option for multi-display support to the model.

That's been a want for users pretty much since the day the model launched. Let's face it, most of us are running setups with more than one monitor these days, so having that functionality is crucial.

It has proven to be even more of a bug bear as the lower-priced M3 MacBook Air models have had the function on-board. Those use the same M3 chips as these pro models, which has led to confusion over why the feature couldn't be universal.

Still, that's a thing of the past now. The release notes for the new update confirm the feature, stating, "This update adds support for using up to two external displays when the laptop lid is closed on 14-inch MacBook Pro with M3 chip."

There is a little catch, though. As the notes state, the use of two external displays will only be possible when the lid of the device is closed.

That leaves users having to choose between using their Mac display plus a single external monitor, or two external devices with no in-built display. There are certainly use-cases for that – someone working on their laptop for the commute, but then plugging into a multi-monitor setup in the office or at home, for example – but it's still worth noting.