Your MacBook Pro can reach 1600 nits of brightness. Here's how to unlock it.
According to Apple's technical specifications, the MacBook Pro 14" and 16" with M-series chips feature an XDR (Extreme Dynamic Range) display capable of:
This XDR capability means your MacBook Pro's display panel can physically produce up to 1600 nits of brightness - roughly 3× brighter than typical laptop displays.
By default, macOS limits SDR (Standard Dynamic Range) content - which includes your desktop, web browsers, and most apps - to around 500 nits. The extra brightness up to 1600 nits is reserved for:
This means even with your brightness slider at maximum, you're only using a fraction of your display's capability during normal work.
Vivid enables the full XDR brightness range for SDR content. This means:
~500 nits maximum for everyday use
Up to 1600 nits for everything
Your brightness keys work exactly the same way - they just go roughly twice as bright as before. No new shortcuts to learn.
14" and 16" models with M1 Pro, M1 Max, M2 Pro, M2 Max, M3 Pro, M3 Max, M4 Pro, M4 Max, M5 Pro, and M5 Max chips
Apple's standalone XDR monitor
Apple's Studio Display with XDR capability
Studio Display (non-XDR), MacBook Air, Intel MacBooks, M1 MacBook Pro 13"
Vivid fully supports macOS up to the latest macOS 27 Golden Gate.
Try Vivid for free in Split Screen mode, or purchase a lifetime license to unlock full-screen brightness.