Guide

MacBook Pro Max Brightness Explained

A display has several brightness ratings. The largest number does not describe normal desktop brightness.

The tested M2 Pro display

Apple rates both the 14-inch and 16-inch 2023 M2 Pro MacBook Pro displays at 500 nits SDR, 1,000 nits sustained full-screen HDR and 1,600 nits peak HDR. See Apple’s 14-inch and 16-inch specifications. Lumi’s physical beta testing currently covers the 14-inch model only.

What Lumi requests

Lumi uses the panel’s extended range for an estimated desktop brightness target. The selected value is not a sensor reading or a guarantee of emitted light.

Available output changes

Content, temperature, power, reference mode and system settings can reduce available output. macOS keeps control of the panel’s physical protections.