New USB-C dock triples M1 Mac external monitor support, Anker says - Ars Technica
If you have an M1-based Mac, Apple says you're limited to just one external monitor.But Anker, which makes power banks, chargers, docks, and other accessories, this week released a dock that it says will boost your M1 Mac's max monitor count to three.
If you were hoping to use a trio of 4K displays, you're out of luck. The dock can only support one 4K monitor at a time, and the output will be limited to a 30 Hz refresh rate.If you add a second external monitor via the Anker 563, a 4K screen will still run at 30 Hz via HDMI, while the DisplayPort will support up to 2560×1440 resolution at 60 Hz.If the display doesn't support 2048×1152, Anker says the monitor will default to 1920×1080.
Anker isn't alone in trying to do what Apple says can't be done, as noted by The Verge. Hyper, for example, offers options for adding two 4K monitors to an M1 MacBook, one at 30 Hz and one at 60 Hz.Some docks have even more limitations when it comes to the M1, though. CalDigit notes that for its dock, "users cannot extend their desktop over two displays and will be limited to either dual 'Mirrored' displays or 1 external display depending on the dock.".Depending on the device, those chips can support from two to five external displays, Apple says.