Free version of DaVinci Resolve with support for 32K. Required: Apple M5!

DaVinci Resolve 20.3 with 32K support – the free version gains pro-level features. Check which Apple M5 devices enable grading at extreme resolutions.

Free DaVinci Resolve has just made a huge leap – starting from version 20.3, it allows editing and grading in resolutions up to 32K, provided you are using a device with the Apple M5 chip. This is a feature that until now was reserved exclusively for the paid Studio edition. DaVinci Resolve is the standard in both Hollywood and among independent creators. During FlatpanelsHD's visits to film studios, it is Resolve that serves as the tool for color correction and post-production. Now one of the most significant barriers — the 4K limit — simply disappears.

Required devices: Apple M5 chip

Full 32K has been available only in Resolve Studio until now. Version 20.3 introduces it to the free version, still at 60 fps. Blackmagic notes that to work at such a high resolution, a Mac with an Apple M5 chip is needed. The M5 chip can currently be found in:

MacBook Pro 14”,
iPad Pro (2025),
Apple Vision Pro (2025).

This is relatively accessible hardware that allows users to reach a quality level that until recently could only be read about in industry reports. Resolve 20.3 also works on iPadOS, and iPhones with the M4 chip now have support for background rendering. In 2025, Apple is expected to expand the chip family with M5 Pro, M5 Max, and M5 Ultra in upcoming Macs.

What is 32K for?

While the industry is just slowly entering 8K, 32K may sound like a futuristic whim. However, the market has specific applications:

huge LED volumes for virtual production,
projection domes,
custom signage formats,
high-end VFX,
materials from cameras such as Blackmagic URSA Cine 17K 65.

Working at a higher resolution than the output format also has archival significance and allows for preparing materials for future remasters—simultaneously improving the quality of the 4K version thanks to better downscaling.