Blackmagic Releases New eGPU Firmware With Pro Display XDR Support

Blackmagic eGPU and Blackmagic eGPU Pro users who also own a Pro Display XDR can today download a new version 1.2 firmware update that's designed to introduce support for the Apple Pro Display XDR.

The update is available via the Latest Downloads section of the Blackmagic website, and it allows the Pro Display XDR to be used as a display when connected to a Mac with TB3 or with a Blackmagic eGPU.

blackmagic egpu
Apple support documents for the Blackmagic eGPU and reports from Pro Display XDR owners have suggested that the devices were already compatible with one another prior to this firmware update, but it should still be installed as it may further improve compatibility.

The Blackmagic eGPU and eGPU Pro can allow the Pro Display XDR to work with Thunderbolt 3 Macs that do not officially support Apple's new 6K display.

Apple has been offering the Blackmagic eGPU since mid-2018, when it launched alongside the 2018 MacBook Pro models. The base eGPU features a Radeon Pro 580, while the Pro model is equipped with a Radeon RX Vega 56.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
macbook pro blue green

When Will Apple Release the M5 MacBook Pro?

Wednesday March 26, 2025 4:53 pm PDT by
Apple regularly refreshes the MacBook Pro models, and a new version that uses M5 series chips is in the works. Apple just finished refreshing most of the Mac lineup with M4 chips, and now it's time for the M5. Rumors suggest that we could see the first M5 MacBook Pro models this fall. Design There have been no rumors of a design update for the M5 MacBook Pro models that are coming this...
Apple Lumon Terminal Pro

Apple's Mac Site Features Fictional 'Lumon Terminal Pro'

Wednesday March 26, 2025 12:19 pm PDT by
Apple is going all out with promotions for the popular Severance Apple TV+ show today, and as of right now, you'll find a new "Lumon Terminal Pro" listed on Apple's Mac site. The Lumon Terminal Pro is designed to look similar to the machines that Severance employees like Mark S. and Helly R. use for macrodata refinement. The Terminal features a blue keyboard, a small display with wide...
Facebook Feature

Facebook's New iPhone App Feature Turns the Clock Back to 2007

Thursday March 27, 2025 1:59 pm PDT by
In the mid-to-late 2000s, Facebook was all about staying connected with friends and family. However, as the social media platform added new features and grew over time, that core experience began to get drowned out. That changes starting now, according to Meta, which today introduced a new feature that will "bring back the joy" of classic Facebook. Specifically, Meta has redesigned the...
Generic iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Coming Soon With These New Features for Your iPhone

Tuesday March 25, 2025 6:45 am PDT by
Apple is expected to release iOS 18.4 to the general public as soon as next week, following more than a month of beta testing. Apple's website says some iOS 18.4 features will be released in "early April," so the update should be out as early as Tuesday, April 1. Apple this week seeded the iOS 18.4 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, barring the discovery of any...
iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Supports 8K Video Recording, Suggests Leaker [Updated]

Wednesday March 26, 2025 4:06 am PDT by
Update 7:25 pm: Based on comments from our forums, it appears the original Weibo post may have been mistranslated and "8K" actually refers to the high price of the device rather than 8K video recording capabilities. The iPhone 16 Pro currently starts at 7,999 yuan in China. Our original article follows below. Apple's forthcoming iPhone 17 Pro models are capable of shooting 8K video, up...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

'iPhone Fold' to Feature Metallic Glass Hinge That Resists Deformation

Thursday March 27, 2025 4:21 am PDT by
Last week, we covered a report claiming that Apple's book-style foldable iPhone (or "iPhone Fold," as we are provisionally calling it here) will use liquid metal hinges to improve durability and help minimize screen creasing. Today, a Chinese leaker provided more details on the properties of this hinge material that help to clarify why Apple chose it for its first foldable device. According...
iOS 18 4 Ambient Music Control Center

How to Use iOS 18.4's New Ambient Music Feature in Control Center

Thursday March 27, 2025 7:45 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 18.4 update for the iPhone adds an Ambient Music feature to Control Center. Below, we take a closer look at how it works. iOS 18.4 is currently in beta, so the Ambient Music feature is not widely available yet. The update will likely be released to the general public next week. To use the feature on iOS 18.4, open Control Center and tap on the plus sign in the top-left...
Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock

Gurman: Jon Prosser's iOS 19 Mockups 'Aren't Representative' of Redesign

Tuesday March 25, 2025 4:47 pm PDT by
The iOS 19 mockup images that leaker Jon Prosser shared today are not representative of the actual iOS 19 design, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on social media. According to Gurman, the images that are "floating around" are based on "very old builds" or "vague descriptions," and are lacking key features. Gurman says that we can "expect more from Apple in June." Gurman made the same comment ...

Top Rated Comments

poematik13 Avatar
69 months ago
This thing is so overpriced. I mean yes it's also a TB3 hub and is nicely engineered but it's non-upgradeable so you're stuck with last-gen AMD graphics. The Pro should be $799 and the 580 model should be $499.

For ~$500 you can get a Sonnet chassis and 5700 that will smoke this thing AND you can swap the GPU out over time.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
radus Avatar
69 months ago

For ~$500 you can get a Sonnet chassis and 5700 that will smoke this thing AND you can swap the GPU out over time.
As far as I know only the blackmagic uses a titan-ridge controller?
You get what you pay for.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JLOAKS Avatar
69 months ago

For ~$500 you can get a Sonnet chassis and 5700 that will smoke this thing AND you can swap the GPU out over time.
But doesn’t come with ultra-quiet performance, or daisy-chaining capabilities to LG Ultrafine displays, or the ability to be used as a hub.

You can power a 5k display, have eGPU support, charge your laptop, get 4 USB ports & 3 USB-C ports, with quiet performance all through one USB-C connection on your MacBook.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
icrude Avatar
69 months ago
So is the scenario behind this that someone has an XDR connected to a Mac mini and needs more juice?
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LiE_ Avatar
69 months ago
I recently bought the 580 Blackmagic used for £400, still with 3 months warranty with Apple. It’s about the right price for what it delivers for me. It’s very well made and super quiet. Drives my UltraFine really well.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SgtPepper12 Avatar
69 months ago

Just returned my Blackmagic eGPU today. In a fit of insanity and seduction by Apple's 6% cash back offer, I ordered the Blackmagic eGPU and Pro Display XDR to pair with my Mac mini. I'm not a graphics pro but dreamed of replacing my plastic-y LG 23.7" Ultrafine with Apple's 32" super high res work of art. But then reality set in and I gave up on my dream:

-Disliked the large bulk and weight of the eGPU. It dwarfs the mini itself.
-Not a fan of legacy USB A ports on the Blackmagic. If I'm building a dream set up, USB A is not part of the picture.
-Lack of built in speakers on Pro Display meant yet more bulky equipment and wires would need to sit on my desk.
-LG has extra thunderbolt port to daisy chain my Thunderbolt 3 UA Arrow audio interface. Not possible with the USB ports on the BlackMagic/XDR.
-eGPU seemed pretty seamless but would see some weird graphics glitches on start up. Not encouraging.
-I don't do intensive graphics work or gaming that would remotely justify the extra graphics output.
-And of course, the $$$$.

Returned the eGPU and cancelled my order for the XDR. Sigh. Hopefully one day Apple will release a more practical update to the classic Apple Cinema Displays.
So basically, you ordered a product you never needed in the first place?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)