Photoshop's new M1 Mac app is 1.5 times faster than the Intel version

By Sharmishta Sarkar
last updated

Adobe has released a Photoshop app optimized for Apple's new M1 Macs

Adobe Photoshop CC on M1 MacBooks
(Image credit: Adobe)

Content creators who've moved to using Apple's range of M1 Macs will be glad to know that an increasing number of natively-run photo and video editing apps are becoming available for the new Apple silicon.

Apple's new M1 processors have been the talk of the town since they debuted last year, and there's been a flurry of activity to optimize apps for the powerful chip. Following hot on the heels of natively-run Premiere Pro and Lightroom apps for M1 Macs, Adobe has announced (opens in new tab) the public release of its Photoshop app as well.

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According to Adobe, the M1-optimized Photoshop app is 1.5x times faster than the version running on Intel chips, and the difference will be noticeable from the get-go. On an M1 Mac, the new version of Photoshop will not only open quicker, but all other processes (even those that chew into processing power, like Content-Aware Fill and Select Subject) promise to be significantly faster as well. 

That said, not all of Photoshop's latest features have been migrated over to the new chip, with Invite to Edit Cloud Documents and Preset Syncing currently absent. Adobe promises to have it all up and running soon, but in case those features are critical to your workflow, you do have the option to switch back to the Rosetta 2 version of the app in the interim.

Previously available only in beta, the new Apple silicon version of Photoshop is now being rolled out publicly to anyone using an M1 Mac, including the new MacBook Air (opens in new tab), 13-inch MacBook Pro (opens in new tab) and Mac mini (opens in new tab).

Adobe apps aren't the only creative options available natively for Apple silicon – Serif's Affinity Photo (opens in new tab) was updated in November 2020, followed soon after by the release of DxO 's PhotoLab 4.1 (opens in new tab) in December 2020.

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Sharmishta Sarkar
Sharmishta Sarkar
Managing Editor (APAC)

In addition to looking after they day-to-day functioning of Digital Camera World in Australia, Sharmishta is the Managing Editor (APAC) for TechRadar as well, and helps produce two of Future's photography print magazines Down Under. Her passion for photography started when she was wandering the wilds of India studying monkeys (yes, life took a sharp turn somewhere along the way) and is entirely self-taught. That puts her in the unique position of understanding what a beginner or enthusiast is looking for in a camera or lens, and writes to help those like her on their path to developing their skills or finding the best gear. While she experiments with quite a few genres of photography, her main area of interest is nature photography – wildlife, landscapes and macro. She still prefers an optical viewfinder but is utterly fascinated with what mirrorless technology has been able to achieve. 


With an ear to the ground in the Asia-Pacific territory, she is constantly on top of camera news and breaking developments in the Australian region, in addition to sourcing local deals during big retail events like Amazon Prime Day and Black Friday / Cyber Monday. 


She’s also a skilled stargazer, always eager to share astrophotography tips such as photographing the blood moon without even using a tripod!

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