There’s been a lot of talk about new Macs potentially debuting in early 2023, and another clue has just surfaced: two mysterious and as-yet-unannounced Apple computers have appeared as entries in Steam’s hardware database.
The database records computers and software used to access Steam games, and one eagle-eyed user (via MacRumors (opens in new tab)) noticed that among all the regular records we have entries of a “Mac14,6” and a “Mac15,4”.
That’s all we have on these computers at the moment, but there have been plenty of rumors about new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros with M2 Pro and M2 Max chips coming in late 2022 or early 2023.
Now testing
It’s worth nothing that both identified Mac models show up in the Steam database with 0% usage – it looks like these aren’t real world computers, but rather being tested in Apple’s labs.
If you have the sneaky feeling you’ve heard that “Mac 14.6” moniker before, you’re absolutely right: benchmarking scores for that computer leaked a few days ago, showing just how much performance the jump to the M2 series of chips might allow. would bring.
Of course, we already know how impressive the M2 version of the 13-inch MacBook Pro is, so we’re excited to see the 14-inch and 16-inch models reach parity. Based on the Steam database, we don’t have to wait much longer.
Analysis: 2023 in Macs
The 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros aren’t the only new Macs we’re waiting for: The M2 chip is expected to make its way into updated versions of the Mac Studio, the Mac Pro, and possibly the Mac mini before we see it end of 2023.
However, it’s the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros that are most likely to be refreshed first. We’ve been waiting for them for much of 2022, and some of the industry’s most trusted sources have revealed that they’re now due in early 2023.
At the same time, we are waiting for improved versions of the Apple M2 chip that has already appeared in the 13-inch MacBook Pro and the MacBook Air. As with the M1 before it, Apple is expected to unveil more powerful versions of the silicon over time.
Indeed, almost every Mac that hasn’t been updated in 2022 could well be due for a new edition with upgraded processors and internal memory by now – and of course we’ll keep you posted on all the rumors and official announcements over the next 12 months.