Connecting an Apple Studio with an Apple Studio Display

The Mac Studio can connect to the Studio Displays, but not over HDMI, if only because Studio Displays don't have HDMI ports.

Studio Display - Technical Specifications - Apple

You can connect the Mac Studio computer to the displays using a Thunderbolt 3 or 4 cable from the Mac Studio's thunderbolt ports and plugging it into the one upstream thunderbolt port on the Studio Displays.

It will take/occpupy 2 Thunderbolt-ports from Mac Studio - while connecting 2 Studio Display: then you will gain total 3+3=6 USB-C ports from the 2 Studio Displays.

Unless you really are in need of Thunderbolt Speed for other peripherals - such as TB drives ...etc, you might consider additional Thunderbolt Hub, like this, or other alike.

Best

crliege wrote:

I'm afraid this didn't answer my questiion: The Mac Studio has an HDMI, so logically if I buy a 1.5m HDMI to USB C cable (not a connector) will this work?

No. The Studio Display requires a thunderbolt signal. There is no way to generate one from HDMI. You need to use a thunderbolt cable from one of the Mac Studio’s Thunderbolt ports to the upstream thunderbolt port on the Studio Display.

I know Studio Displays connect via USB C/Thunderbolt, because that's what I'm doing with both my MacBook Pro and Mini. They're both end-of-line items, and will be replaced by a MacStudio. Hence my question - I know the Studio Display to USB C/Thunderbolt works, I wanted to make sure I could use the cable I suggest above without problems.

You cannot.

So, your reply didn't answer my question. Back to my comment, I can't believe it doesn't work, otherwise what's the use of the HDMI socket? (To repeat, I've read a bit that says it doesn't work, which I don't believe.)

The HDMI port on the Mac Studio is used to connect to displays or TVs that have an HDMI port. The Studio Display is connected through a thunderbolt port.

The display requires a TB connection to handle the extra bandwidth of video, audio, camera function and power. An HDMI cable cannot support the display hardware.