Two external displays? Only in clamshell mode.

No, not natively. The M3 MacBook Air can only drive one external display (up to 6K) with the lid open.

If you close the lid, it can drive two displays — one up to 6K and one up to 5K. That’s the spec. So “without clamshell mode” means you’re stuck at one.

Want two with the lid open? You’ll need a DisplayLink adapter. It works, but it adds a little latency and eats CPU because it’s software-based. Not ideal for anything real-time like video editing or gaming, but fine for productivity.

Honestly, if dual monitors with the laptop open is a must, the MacBook Pro is the better choice. The Air is great, but this is where the line is drawn.