Apple’s new 27-inch 5K Studio Display — including its 12-megapixel webcam and fancy speakers — should work just fine with Windows PCs, Apple has told The Verge. However, certain features enabled by the monitor’s built-in A13 Bionic processor will only function on Macs, Apple said.
There was never much doubt that the display itself would function on a PC, but the resolution may depend on your PC configuration. In effect, you’ll need a graphics card with compatible Thunderbolt or USB-C ports and support for 5K or higher resolution (most modern GPUs have these features).
The status of the webcam was not very clear, though. According to Apple’s Studio Display web page, “camera features and firmware updates require a connection to a Mac.” However, an Apple spokesperson confirmed to The Verge that the camera should work like a normal USB webcam when plugged into a PC.
One “camera feature” that won’t work on a PC though, is Center Stage. On a Mac, that feature uses digital zoom to keep the subject or subjects in the frame, even if they move around. Other features enabled by the A13 chip, like Spatial Audio and “Hey Siri,” are also unavailable on Windows computers, the spokesperson said.
At $1,600, the Studio display is pretty expensive for a 27-inch display, especially if you get it with the ridiculously overpriced height adjustment bracket. On the plus side, it does look nice and and the 12-megapixel webcam and high-end speakers add a lot of value. If that’s not important, you could get a 32-inch 4K display with similar specs for far less money.
