My current work laptop is a 2019 MBP with an i9 and an AMD gpu. I have 3 4k monitors that I use with the laptop in clamshell mode. I have a HyperDrive viper that I use to drive two monitors https://www.hypershop.com/products/hyperdrive-viper-10-in-2-usb-c-hub?variant=32440484888638 and then have a usb c to display port cable to drive the third. My fourth usb c port is used for charging.

The next laptop I get from work will likely be an m2 or m3 pro chip and it seems as though these chips only support 2 external monitors (pro doesn’t mean much does it?)

My question is, does support for 2 external monitors turn into support for three external monitors if the laptop is in clamshell mode?

These are work managed laptops so workarounds that require third party software to drive additional monitors are not allowed.

How can Apple think that such horrible support for external monitors in a pro machine is acceptable? I’m using this thing for actual work, not browsing Etsy at Starbucks.