Here’s why the HDMI 2.0 port on the new MacBook Pros isn’t a deal-breaker

Apple announced two new MacBooks at its Unleashed event. The new MacBooks along with the new M1 Pro and M1 Max chips brings back several things that professionals have been asking for some time now.
Apple removed all the ports from its MacBook laptops in 2016 in favour of USB Type-C Thunderbolt ports. However, the newly announced 2021 MacBook Pro machines bring back some ports if not all.
The new MacBook Pros now include an SD card slot along with three Thunderbolt ports and an HDMI port.
But, not everything is new and shiny here. The Apple MacBook Pro specification page notes that the HDMI ports on the new MacBooks are actually HDMI 2.0 instead of HDMI 2.1 which is the latest and best HDMI standard today.
The HDMI 2.1 is also much more powerful and capable compared to HDMI 2.0. Simply put, the HDMI 2.0 can only handle one 4K monitor at 60Hz, while the HDMI 2.1 technology allows users to run 4K monitors at a 120Hz refresh rate.
So is it a big deal? Well, not exactly, the MacBook Pro with an M1 Pro chip can handle two 6K displays at 60Hz, the M1 Max powered Macbook can handle three monitors all at 6K, 60Hz refresh rate.
The HDMI port is just a bonus in both cases. So essentially, the new MacBooks can run a minimum of three external displays at a time. And, that’s more than sufficient any professional requires. So, this inclusion of HDMI 2.0 might not be as big of a deal as it appears to be.