Universal Apps for Apple Silicon Macs: Pixelmator Pro, DaVinci Resolve, Darkroom, Ulysses, BBEdit, and More

Following the release of macOS Big Sur this week, a number of apps have received compatibility updates for the latest operating system. Many of the apps have also been updated with native support for Apple Silicon Macs with the M1 chip.

pixelmator pro 2
Launching on November 19, image editing app Pixelmator Pro 2.0 features an all-new design for macOS Big Sur, ranging from a simplified Effects Browser to new layouts for the sidebars and presets. A new Workspaces feature lets users customize the look of Pixelmator, with presets optimized for photo editing, design, illustration, and painting. The app is also universal now, with native support for both Apple Silicon Macs and Intel-based Macs.

Pixelmator Pro 2.0 takes advantage of the M1 chip's 16-core Neural Engine for accelerated machine learning. This allows features like Super Resolution, which intelligently increases the resolution of images while preserving details, to work up to 15x faster.

ulysses big sur
Writing app Ulysses has been updated with a new design and icon for macOS Big Sur, as well as native support for Apple Silicon Macs. There is also a refined Revision mode with a dedicated view outside of the dashboard, and a new "editor focus" mode that hides all chrome and presents sidebars as overlays. Version 21 of Ulysses for Mac is available now.

Blackmagic Design today announced that it has released a new beta of its popular filmmaking app DaVinci Resolve with native support for Apple Silicon Macs. The recently released DaVinci Resolve 17 is a major new release with over 300 new features and improvements, including HDR grading tools, redesigned primary color controls, and more.

3 davinci resolve 17 1%402x
Guilherme Rambo's podcast to video converter FusionCast is available on the Mac App Store with native support for Apple Silicon Macs, as is Bare Bones Software's text and code editor BBEdit and Shihab Mehboob's third-party Twitter client Aviary.

Earlier this week, we highlighted other universal apps like Darkroom, Fantastical, and djay Pro AI.

The first Macs with the M1 chip will begin arriving to customers on Tuesday, and we'll be sharing more universal apps in the coming days.

Popular Stories

Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's CarPlay Ultra Is Here – Does Your iPhone Support It?

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:17 am PDT by
Apple's recently announced CarPlay Ultra promises a deeply integrated in-car experience, but not all iPhone users will be able to take advantage of the new feature. According to Apple's press release, CarPlay Ultra requires an iPhone 12 or later running iOS 18.5 or later. This means if you're using an iPhone 11, iPhone XR, or any older model, you'll need to upgrade your device to access...
Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's 'CarPlay Ultra' Experience Now Available

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:07 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its next-generation CarPlay experience, now dubbed "CarPlay Ultra" begins rolling out today, starting with Aston Martin vehicles. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. CarPlay Ultra is now available with new Aston Martin vehicle orders in the U.S. and Canada. It will also be available for existing models that feature the brand's next-generation ...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Air Battery Capacity and Weight Allegedly Revealed

Monday May 19, 2025 2:22 am PDT by
Apple is expected to launch an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air later this year, and while there have been plenty of rumors about the camera's overall design and thinness, we haven't heard any details about the device's weight and battery capacity until now. According to the leaker going by the account name "yeux1122" on the Korean-langauge Naver blog, the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air has a weight ...
CarPlay Ultra Climate Controls

Apple Says These Vehicle Brands Plan to Offer All-New CarPlay Ultra

Thursday May 15, 2025 8:13 am PDT by
Apple today announced the launch of CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. CarPlay Ultra features deep integration with a vehicle's instrument cluster and systems, built-in Radio and Climate apps, customizable widgets, and more. The interface is tailored to each vehicle model and automaker's identity, and drivers can also adjust...
iOS 18 Siri Personal Context

Apple Will Reportedly Be More Cautious About Announcing New Features Well in Advance

Sunday May 18, 2025 2:50 pm PDT by
Apple plans to mostly stop announcing new features more than a few months before they are ready to launch, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Drake Bennett. The pair of reporters revealed this noteworthy tidbit towards the bottom of a lengthy report about Apple's artificial intelligence shortcomings today. This alleged change in strategy comes after Apple was forced to delay its more...
Apple Intelligence General Feature

Report: Apple's Next-Gen Version of Siri Is 'On Par' With ChatGPT

Monday May 19, 2025 9:00 am PDT by
Apple has big plans to improve Siri over the next few years, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman and Drake Bennett report. Some Apple executives are now reportedly pushing to turn Siri into a true ChatGPT competitor. A next-generation, chatbot version of Siri has reportedly made significant progress during testing over the past six months; some executives allegedly now see it as "on par" with recent...

Top Rated Comments

yoak Avatar
59 months ago
8K on a Mac mini in native arm Resolve. Say no more. I’m impressed by Apple and BM
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
techpr Avatar
59 months ago

Not the gold standard, sorry. It's nice, but no match for Dreamweaver.
Serious Web Developers don't use Dramweaver sorry.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ikir Avatar
59 months ago
Pixelmator!!!!!
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
4jasontv Avatar
59 months ago
All of this sounds great. Except for Ulysses which should run on a potato.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HiRez Avatar
59 months ago
And as expected, Adobe is right out in front on thi...never mind
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sfwalter Avatar
59 months ago
DaVinci Resolve is a huge win. By the end next week the youtubers should put DaVinci Resolve thru its paces and we will have a clear picture of how good the M1 chip really is.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)