New Plugable Thunderbolt 4 dock brings dual 4K HDMI to M4 Macs

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in Current Mac Hardware edited 12:21PM

A new Mac-friendly Thunderbolt 4 dock from Plugable delivers dual-4K HDMI, 96W charging, and 13 ports without a premium price tag.

Two gray Plugable Thunderbolt docking stations with multiple ports, including HDMI, USB, and Ethernet, are displayed against an orange background.Plugable has a new Thunderbolt 4 dock



Plugable launched the TBT-UDM Thunderbolt 4 dock on August 12, 2025, offering native dual-4K HDMI, 96W-certified charging, and 13 ports in an aluminum enclosure for $199.95.


  • Two HDMI ports supporting 4K 60Hz displays

  • One Thunderbolt 4 port for a single 6K display on macOS or 8K 30Hz on Windows

  • One USB-C 10Gbps port

  • Four USB-A ports

  • UHS-II SD and microSD card readers

  • Gigabit Ethernet port

  • 3.5 mm audio jack



The aluminum chassis is designed to match Apple hardware. It comes with a 1-meter Thunderbolt 4 cable, a power supply, and a two-year U.S. warranty.

Compatibility with modern Mac systems



The TBT-UDM is not a DisplayLink dock. It relies entirely on native GPU support in macOS.

All M4 MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models support two external displays.

M3 Pro and Max models also support two, while the base M3 allows dual displays only when the lid is closed. Base-model M1 and M2 laptops support just one external display natively, though the M1 Mac mini can run two.

Modern desk setup with a laptop, external monitor, docking station, smartphone, wireless mouse, headphones, and cables, all on a sleek white and black desk.
The aluminum chassis is designed to match Apple hardware. Image credit: Plugable



For supported Macs, the dock drives two displays via HDMI or one HDMI plus one through the Thunderbolt port, with HDMI limited to 4K 60Hz. The Thunderbolt port supports an Apple Studio Display, LG UltraFine 5K, or other 6K panels on macOS.

Pricing & availability

At $199.95

, the TBT-UDM undercuts many Thunderbolt 4 docks which typically list above $300, with Plugable's own lineup often in the $269 to $379 range. The focus on native output means users avoid the trade-offs of DisplayLink, such as higher latency and driver dependencies.

The company is also advertising a 20% direct-purchase discount at launch.

Amazon is also stocking the dock, with it selling for $199.95 before a $40 off coupon.

The dock's mix of high-resolution display support, fast UHS-II card readers, and near-full-power charging makes it a strong fit for creative professionals, developers, and remote workers. These users need a one-cable connection to a complete desktop setup.

Owners of base-model M1 or M2 laptops, however, will need a different docking solution for multiple displays.



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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 2
    SleepySheepsleepysheep Posts: 12member
    Host connector on front. Audio connector on front. HDMI instead of DisplayPort. This dock does everything wrong. I recommend getting a CalDigit instead.
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  • Reply 2 of 2
    Mike Wuerthelemike wuerthele Posts: 7,273administrator
    SleepySheep said:
    Host connector on front. Audio connector on front. HDMI instead of DisplayPort. This dock does everything wrong. I recommend getting a CalDigit instead.
    There's some value to the host connector on the front in enteprise, say, on a workstation desk that has multiple users. HDMI is a little more conventional for the regular business folks and offices.

    We'll see. We've got one coming in for review. The price point is nice.
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