macOS 27 Golden Gate restores 3840 x 1620 resolution for M4 Macs

For those using an ultra-wide display (21:9 aspect ratio, like my LG 5K:2K) with an M4 Mac, you may have noticed that the 3840 x 1620 resolution was missing from the options in System Settings > Displays on macOS 15 Sequoia (which was installed on M4 Macs at launch). This reportedly affected M4, M4 Pro and M4 Max chips.

That resolution was my personal setting on my 16" Core i9 Intel MBP and my 16" M1 Pro MBP, prior to replacing the Intel Mac with a 16" M4 Pro MBP, and I immediately was annoyed by the disappearance of the option. This was not an issue with macOS specifically, but rather with display support on macOS for the M4 chip. My 16" M1 Pro MBP on macOS 15 Sequoia continued to offer the 3840 x 1620 resolution, as reportedly did M2 and M3 Macs.

The 3840 x 1620 resolution option did not come back to my M4 Pro MBP with any point updates to Sequoia, nor did it come back with the upgrade to macOS 26 Tahoe or point updates thereof. I had been thinking that it was a hardware issue, not a software issue, and one that I was just stuck with for the duration.

However, I am happy to report that on macOS 27 Golden Gate, the 3840 x 1620 resolution has returned as an option for those with a 5K:2K display and an M4 Mac.

I no longer have to make the rather annoying adjustment between resolution and screen real estate when switching between the two Macs that I use with the LG display.

Thanks, Apple! There is harmony and joy in the Shire today, at least in my little corner of it. 😃