Firefox now supports the best thing about Apple's fanciest MacBook Pros

Firefox artwork
(Image credit: Mozilla)

A new Mozilla Firefox update has added support for one of the best features of the latest 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pros. With Firefox 103.0 installed, owners of those portable Macs should notice improved scrolling performance thanks to the additional support for 120Hz refresh rates.

The 2021 MacBook Pro supports 120Hz ProMotion, allowing for an improved scrolling experience in apps that make full use of it. Mozilla calls 120Hz refresh rates out in its latest release notes, saying that it has added "improved performance on high-refresh rate monitors."

Support for 120Hz ProMotion is something that developers are still working to add to their apps, and it's perhaps taking longer than Apple might like. Given the fact only the 2021 MacBook Pros currently support the feature, however, it's understandable why some developers may not be rushing to retool their apps for it.

That's just the start

Support for high refresh rate monitors isn't the end of the story, of course. Mozilla also lists a few notable improvements for this latest release including "Improved responsiveness on macOS during periods of high CPU load by switching to a modern lock API."

Many of the other improvements appear to be limited to those running Mozilla on Windows PCs, but other changes like improved picture-in-picture (PiP) support apply to both platforms. In this instance, PiP subtitles now work on Funimation, Dailymotion, Tubi, and more.

While many would suggest that Safari is still the best Mac web browser around, there's no denying that Mozilla and other browsers like Chrome have a place for many — often brought about by compatibility issues, especially for those in the enterprise who are beholden to I.T. departments and company policy.

The newly updated Firefox can be downloaded from the Mozilla website right now. It's free, of course, and could be a great addition to your web-based toolkit.

Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.

Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.