San Francisco: Tech giant Apple’s website says that its new 27-inch, 5K Studio Display is compatible with a wide range of Macs and even some iPads, but the company has mentioned that it should also work fine when plugged into a Windows PC.
According to The Verge, there are a few caveats, of course, but if your PC is capable of outputting to it, the Studio Display should act like any normal monitor with a built-in webcam and speakers.
The webcam’s Windows compatibility has been a bit in question; Apple’s website states that “Studio Display camera features and firmware updates require connection to a Mac”.
While that language is unclear, Apple spokesperson Alex Bender told The Verge that the Studio Display’s built-in 12MP camera should work like a normal USB webcam when you are using a PC.
However, he did confirm that features like Center Stage won’t be available. That’s the case for other macOS-specific features too, like Spatial Audio or “Hey Siri” functionality, despite the fact that the monitor has a built-in iPhone chip.
While it seems theoretically possible that you could AirPlay music or summon Siri while the Studio Display’s plugged into a Windows computer (like you could if you had a HomePod sitting next to your PC), Apple suggested that kind of functionality is limited to the Mac.
And if that ever changes, you will have to borrow a Mac to update the display to support it, the report said.