The shiny new MacBook Pro.

So it finally arrived! The replacement machine for my 2018 15" with the butterfly keyboard is in my possession.

All I have to say is wow.

It's only a base model 16" from 2021, but it packs a serious punch. The display is astonishingly good, the battery lasts forever, the speakers get even deeper and more immersive, and the performance.

That performance!

On my 2018 15" with Ventura 13.2 and OBS 29, I could pull off 1080p@60. On this 2021 16", I can pull off 4K@120 with HDR as well - and the fans barely even come on. This is an astronomical increase for me, especially given that I've been wanting to get into 4K and HDR on my channel.

Compiling apps is way faster too, taking just under a minute on my M1 Pro compared to the three with the i7-8750H. I haven't tried compiling the JDK PojavLauncherTeam made for iOS yet, but given how much of a difference that was from GitHub's runner to M1, I'm expecting even faster performance.

This also opens up the possibility to develop and test apps on one device, as well as debug some oddities when used on Mac. Not to mention, copying files to my other devices is almost instant - my Apple Watch works more reliably with this machine too.

And of course, macOS. I get everything I need out of it, and for gaming I have GayForce NOW to use. I can now enjoy the same spatial audio experience from my iPhone on my Mac as well - a major win for my listening experience at 2AM when I'm developing.

I'll probably do a whole video on it once I'm more familiar with it, and give a proper review on using an Apple Silicon machine vs an Intel one. Right now, I'm just planning for the next stream. Sadly, OBS doesn't support streaming HDR on Mac, but I might take a look at the code and add support myself 😃

I'm very happy about this upgrade, and can't wait for you all to see my excitement!