Apple has announced the M5 MacBook Pro, bringing new performance to its 14-inch and 16-inch professional laptops. The new models run on Apple’s M5 Pro and M5 Max chips and target heavy workloads such as video editing, game development, streaming, and AI tools.

Preorders opened March 4, 2026. The laptops arrive in stores March 11, 2026.

What the M5 MacBook Pro Brings

Apple’s M5 chips focus on faster CPU and GPU performance along with stronger AI processing. The goal is to keep demanding apps and tasks running smoothly.

Here are the main upgrades.

Faster M5 Pro and M5 Max chips

The new MacBook Pro comes with two main chip options.

M5 Pro

• Designed for creators, developers, and power users
• Faster CPU and GPU performance than the previous generation
• Handles large files and multitasking more easily

M5 Max

• Built for the heaviest workloads
• Much stronger graphics performance
• Designed for advanced 3D work, large video projects, and AI processing

Apple reports up to 30 percent faster CPU performance in demanding workloads.

Gaming performance improvements

MacBooks remain focused on productivity, though Apple highlighted improvements for gaming workloads.

With the M5 Max chip, Apple reports up to 1.6x faster gaming performance in Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition compared with the previous generation.

The chips support hardware ray tracing, which improves lighting and reflections in supported titles.

A single laptop can handle gaming, streaming, editing, and development workloads without major slowdowns.

Faster storage and larger base storage

Storage capacity increases across the lineup.

• M5 Pro models start at 1TB
• M5 Max models start at 2TB

Apple reports SSD speeds that can reach up to twice the performance of earlier models. Faster storage improves large file transfers, video editing timelines, and game development projects.

Updated wireless connectivity

The M5 MacBook Pro includes new wireless hardware.

• Wi-Fi 7
• Bluetooth 6

Wi-Fi 7 allows higher speeds and lower latency when paired with compatible routers. This can improve cloud gaming, downloads, and large file transfers.

Display, ports, and battery

The MacBook Pro design remains largely unchanged.

Each model includes:

• Liquid Retina XDR display
• Thunderbolt 5 ports
• HDMI
• SD card slot
• MagSafe charging

Apple rates battery life at up to 24 hours, depending on workload and system settings.

Price and availability

Apple announced four main configurations.

Starting prices:

• 14-inch MacBook Pro (M5 Pro) – $2,199
• 16-inch MacBook Pro (M5 Pro) – $2,699
• 14-inch MacBook Pro (M5 Max) – $3,599
• 16-inch MacBook Pro (M5 Max) – $3,899

Preorders opened March 4, 2026. Retail availability begins March 11, 2026.