Many Mac apps, including first-party applications such as Safari, do not seem to currently support the high-refresh adaptive ProMotion display on the new MacBook Pro models, resulting in a scrolling experience that's not as smooth as many might expect. The new machines feature a gorgeous adaptive 120Hz mini-LED "all-screen" display, although there is a notch for the camera, ambient light sensor, and front-facing microphones. Just like the iPhone 13 Pro devices, the MacBook Pro's screen will dynamically adjust between 24Hz and 120Hz, depending on what is currently displayed on the screen.

The iPad Pro has had a smooth 120Hz adaptive display for many years now, but it's been relying on the older LCD technology for the display. LCD isn't a bad display technology, but it isn't as vibrant or rich in contrast as the iPhone's OLED display, or the new MacBook Pro's mini-LED display. With the 2021 refresh, Apple did upgrade the larger iPad Pro's display to mini-LED, while the 11-inch variant still uses LCD.

Related: Why Apple Got Rid Of The 2021 MacBook Pro's Touch Bar

As reported by 9to5 Mac, many applications, including Apple's own, do not appear to fully support the ProMotion display. In other words, they are unable to adapt to 120Hz and offer the smooth scrolling promised by Apple. At this point, it's unclear why this is the case, or how Apple even managed to ship the new machines without support for its own first-party applications. Third-party developers seem to be frustrated by the situation, with Apple seemingly having not provided them with the information they need to fully support ProMotion on the new Macs. Hopefully, this gets resolved with a future software update.

A Mac Mess All Around

2021 MacBook Pro models

ProMotion on Apple devices is great... when it works. Unlike the iPad Pro, where Apple enabled the adaptive refresh rate for all apps without the developer needing to update their app, both the iPhone and the Macs seem to require developers to make changes in order to support the technology. For the iPhone 13 Pro, all of Apple's first-party application supports ProMotion and Apple allows some core animations, such as scrolling, to work on third-party applications without developers needing to update their apps.

It could be the case that this is just a bug and Apple can issue a quick patch along with more thorough documentation for third-party developers, similar to how the company handled an issue on the iPhone 13 Pro. For now, users will be forced to use many apps that are locked at 60Hz. For those already using one of the new MacBook Pro models, this might also help to explain why scrolling on the ProMotion display doesn't seem as smooth as on other ProMotion devices, such as the iPad Pro or iPhone 13 Pro.

Next: 2021 MacBook Pro: Should You Buy 14-Inch Or 16-Inch?

Source: 9to5 Mac