While almost all aspects of M1 Mac performance are significantly improved contrasted with the Intel Mac predecessors, one outstanding disadvantage has been diminished help for external displays. In what resembles some exciting news, it shows up Apple might be underselling the M1 Mac external display functionality.

Mac says in its tech specs the M1 MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook just help up to 1 external display up to 6K at 60Hz. Furthermore, the Mac smaller than usual up to 1 6K at 60Hz over USB-C/Thunerbolt and 1 display up to 4K at 60Hz over HDMI.

Notwithstanding, much the same as we’ve found in the past when Mac compatibility with Apple’s Pro Display XDR was discovered to be more extensive than Apple says, apparently M1 Macs can without a doubt approach 6 external displays with good performance… at least in early testing.

YouTuber Ruslan Tulupov has shared two videos showing the workaround he found.

The workaround isn’t excessively complicated and includes downloading the DisplayLink software for macOS (Tulupov says works fine with Big Sur) and getting a 4K DisplayPort to USB 3.0 adapter (or potentially HDMI adapter).

Contingent upon the number of presentations you want to run with this trick, you may require a USB-C to USB-A 3.0 adapter or a Thunderbolt or USB-C dock as well as extra cables, and so on

Interestingly, he says the M1 Mac mini and MacBook Air he tested performed “awesome” overall under a heavy load playing YouTube videos and the highest resolution accessible and even using Final Cut Pro without dropping barely any frames.

With his workaround, he shows the Mac mini running up to 6 displays and the MacBook Air running 5 external displays. Likewise remarkable, he says he didn’t see the Mac mini fan kick up during his testing.