Apple’s OS X 10.9.3 beta, just released Thursday evening, appears to support “Retina’ resolution on compatible 4K displays, including an option for 60Hz output.
MacRumors notes that it was first discovered by Twitter user @KhaosT, and it has been tested with a new Mac Pro, and a Late 2013 MacBook Pro with Retina display. The monitor used was a Dell UltraSharp 24 Ultra HD Monitor.
Up till now, 4K compatibility in OS X has been rather erratic, with various 4K monitors not properly supported. A December report from AnandTech revealed that Sharp’s 32″ 4K display only supported a scaled resolution of 2560 x 1440, with text, menu, and user interface elements rendered in such a manner that the elements were small and difficult to read on the 4K display.
9to5Mac also tested the settings, connecting a late-2013 MacBook Pro with Retina display to a 4K Seiki monitor via HDMI. The site noted that with OS X pixel-doubled on a 4K display, the content was much sharper than before, like running a Retina MacBook Pro at standard Retina resolution or as using a Retina iPhone or iPad.
This support for 4K displays could mean that Apple is preparing to release a 4K Thunderbolt Display – The current model hasn’t been refreshed in over two years – or possibly, they are simply making a move to support the numerous affordable 4K displays introduced at ES 2014 in January by makers including: LG, Seiki, Lenovo, and more.
