Photoshop and DaVinci Resolve are now optimized for the M1 Macs

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Apple’s latest Macs come with its own M1 processor, which is blisteringly fast, even when it has to translate apps written for Intel-based machines. Now, two titans of the creative industry are getting native support on the M1 processor, with Adobe Photoshop and DaVinci Resolve both releasing compatible versions.

Adobe says that Photoshop should be noticeably faster while running in the native mode, with the splash screen on load disappearing in “an instant.” Overall, the native M1 version of Photoshop can run tasks up to 1.5x faster than the Intel-based version, including saving and loading files, running filters, or using compute-heavy tools like “content-aware fill” and “select subject.”

READ MORE: Adobe is now trialing a free, web-based version of Photoshop

That’s the good news, but it’s not all rosy. Some features haven’t made the jump to the native app yet, like “invite to edit cloud documents” or “preset syncing.” That might not be an issue for some users, and you can always use the Intel-based version of Photoshop via Apple’s Rosetta 2 emulation if your workflow relies on those features. That makes Adobe’s big three, Premiere Pro, Lightroom, and Photoshop, all available with native M1 versions.

DaVinci Resolve, the professional quality video editor and color correction tool from Blackmagic Design, also got native support for the M1 Macs. It’s free to use, with extended features if you upgrade to the Studio version.

Overall, this is a step in the right direction for these programs, and it will be interesting to see where this leads in the future.

Have any thoughts on this? Excited about a native version of Photoshop? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

Editors’ Recommendations:

• The resale value of older MacBooks is plummeting because the new M1 versions are so good
• Macs with the new M1 chip will likely suffer SSD problems causing them to die early
• Apple is planning to stuff a bigger battery into the iPhone 13
• Apple Podcasts will change from “subscribe” to “follow” to avoid confusion

Joe Rice-Jones

Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience at KnowTechie, SlashGear and XDA Developers. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere, with particular focus in gadgetry and handheld gaming. Shoot him an email at joe@knowtechie.com.