GoPro MAX 2 Review
GoPro's first new 360 camera in six years: announced on 23 September 2025 and shipping from 30 September. In 360 mode it records 8K at 7680 × 3840 up to 30fps, in 10-bit with GP-Log, from two Type 1/2.3 sensors behind glass lenses that twist off by hand. Two limits shape the rest of it: 5 m of waterproofing without a case, and 8K30 recording that ended at around the 30-minute mark in two reviews.
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The Verdict
The MAX 2 is a two-lens 360 camera: two Type 1/2.3 sensors (6.17 × 4.55 mm) behind f/1.8 glass, in a body measuring 64.0 × 69 mm across the faces, 26 mm thick and 48.7 mm from glass lens to glass lens. In 360 mode it records 8K (7680 × 3840) at 30/25/24fps, 5.6K (5376 × 2688) to 60fps and 4K (3328 × 1664) to 100fps, in 10-bit with GP-Log encoding and a LUT. Neither GoPro's own mode list nor Backscatter's has a 6K step. Stills reach 29MP in 360 and 12MP single-lens, and there is no RAW or DNG for 360 photos.
Read the thermal and sealing lines before the resolution line. Waterproofing is 5 m bare, half the 10 m of GoPro's own HERO13 Black, and 8K30 ran just under 30 minutes before a self-shutdown for Stuff and hit a thermal shutdown around the 30-minute mark for Expert Reviews, in both cases with battery left; 5.6K reaches closer to an hour. Take it for 360 work that needs the resolution, a 10-bit GP-Log grade, six-microphone audio, GPS and lenses you can replace yourself. Skip it if 360 stills have to arrive as RAW, if Horizon Lock has to be baked in during recording, or if the job is one long continuous 8K take.
- Overall
- 8.4/10
- Image quality
- 7.8
- Video
- 9.0
- Handling and build
- 8.4
| Imaging | |
|---|---|
| Announced | 23 September 2025, with preorders the same day and shipping from 30 September 2025 (GoPro press release). Model code CHDHZ-311, from GoPro's product page URL |
| Sensors | Two, Type 1/2.3 (6.17 × 4.55 mm). GoPro publishes no sensor size on its product page or in the press release; the figure is consistent across DPReview, Backscatter, Expert Reviews and HYPOXIC's teardown |
| Sensors and processor (teardown) | Two stacked Sony IMX677 CMOS, 23.91 million effective pixels, on GoPro's GP2 processor built on a 12nm process (HYPOXIC teardown) |
| Lenses | f/1.8 (Backscatter's table). Twist-and-go replaceable glass lenses, swapped by hand in a couple of minutes, with GoPro stating "No special lens calibrations needed"; replacements sold separately |
| 360 stills | 29MP (GoPro press release), 7680 × 3840 (Backscatter). No RAW or DNG support for 360 photos (Expert Reviews) |
| Single-lens stills | 12MP, 4000 × 3000 (Backscatter) |
| Photo timelapse | 360 mode takes one photo every 2 seconds at its shortest interval; single-lens mode has no photo timelapse at all (HYPOXIC) |
| Video | |
| 360 video | 8K 7680 × 3840 at 30/25/24fps; 5.6K 5376 × 2688 at 60/50/30/25fps; 4K 3328 × 1664 at 100/90/60/50fps. No 6K step in either GoPro's or Backscatter's list |
| Single-lens video | 4K at a 180-degree field of view, 60/50/30/25/24fps (16:9 3840 × 2160, 9:16 2160 × 3840, 4:3 4000 × 3000), plus 1080p at 60/50fps. GoPro's page publishes only "4K60"; the per-mode list is Backscatter's |
| Colour | 10-bit colour in 8K and GP-Log encoding with a LUT (GoPro product page) |
| Bitrate | 60 Mbps as standard, raised to 120 Mbps (DPReview; Backscatter's table lists 120 Mbps as the maximum). GoPro's page lists up to 300 Mbps through GoPro Labs |
| Stabilisation | Max HyperSmooth, 360 Horizon Lock and adjustable stabilisation strength (GoPro product page). While recording 360, Horizon Lock is not available in-camera, only in the app afterwards (camerajabber) |
| Audio | Six microphones, 360 stereo audio and wind-noise reduction; 360 ambisonic audio listed as coming soon (GoPro press release) |
| Firmware, 19 November 2025 | Depth Smoothing, 360 HyperSmooth stabilisation control, Blur Reduction, Noise Reduction and GoPro Labs Low Light Capture Optimization; Quik gained a 360 Speed Tool (GoPro press release) |
| Body | |
| Waterproof | 5 m (16 ft) with no case (GoPro product page) |
| Screen | 1.82-inch rear touchscreen, reported independently by Stuff, Expert Reviews and camerajabber; GoPro's product page carries no screen specification |
| Width and height | 64.0 × 69 mm. The axis labels disagree between sources — GoPro writes 2.71 in W × 2.51 in H, Backscatter writes (W) 64.0 × (H) 69.7 — while the physical numbers match |
| Depth, two ways | Body 26 mm and glass lens to glass lens 48.7 mm, both from HYPOXIC's teardown, against 25 mm lens to lens on the 2019 MAX |
| Weight | 190 g in HYPOXIC's teardown ("190g with battery of 32g"); 195 g in Backscatter's table, Stuff and Expert Reviews. No source explains the 5 g gap |
| Mounting | 1/4-20 threaded mount, folding GoPro fingers for the standard mounting ecosystem, and compatibility with GoPro's Magnetic Latch Mount (GoPro product page) |
| Storage | microSD. GoPro recommends a card rated v30 or UHS-3; Backscatter asks for class A2 V30 or higher |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 6 on 2.4 and 5 GHz, BLE 5.3 (Backscatter) |
| GPS | Built in. GoPro's press release calls MAX 2 "the only 360 camera with built-in GPS" — that is the manufacturer's own claim, not a third-party check. GoPro's product page does not mention GPS; Backscatter's table lists it as present |
| Power and heat | |
| Battery | 1960 mAh Cold-Weather Enduro, removable (GoPro press release); 7.63 Wh and 32 g on HYPOXIC's scale |
| 8K30 runtime in reviews | Stuff: just under 30 minutes of continuous recording before the camera shut itself down, with battery remaining. Expert Reviews: warm after 20 minutes, thermal shutdown around the 30-minute mark |
| 5.6K runtime in reviews | Closer to an hour, ending with around 10% battery (Stuff) |
| Shutdown thresholds | HYPOXIC's teardown reads the mandatory-shutdown tier as 85 °C at the DSP, 78 °C at the sensors and 75 °C at the battery, and names the 12nm GP2 as the source of the heat |
What Stands Out
- 360 video at 8K 7680 × 3840 up to 30fps, with 5.6K to 60fps and 4K to 100fps; the 2019 MAX and its February 2025 refresh both stop at 5.6K
- 10-bit colour in 8K with GP-Log encoding and a LUT, at 60 Mbps as standard, 120 Mbps raised, and up to 300 Mbps through GoPro Labs
- Glass lenses twist off by hand in a couple of minutes, and GoPro states no special lens calibration is needed afterwards; replacements are sold separately
- Six microphones with 360 stereo audio and wind-noise reduction, and 360 ambisonic audio listed as coming soon
- Built-in GPS, which GoPro's press release claims no other 360 camera has, plus a 1/4-20 thread, folding fingers and Magnetic Latch Mount compatibility on one body
Trade-offs
- Waterproof to 5 m without a case, half the 10 m of GoPro's own HERO13 Black
- 8K30 ends at around half an hour in two independent reports: just under 30 minutes to a self-shutdown with battery remaining (Stuff), warm at 20 minutes and a thermal shutdown near 30 (Expert Reviews). HYPOXIC reads the mandatory-shutdown tier as DSP 85 °C, sensors 78 °C, battery 75 °C
- Stuff reported condensation forming inside the lens when moving between temperature environments, and suspects the removable lens design seals less than airtight — that suspicion is the reviewer's, not a measurement
- No RAW or DNG for 360 photos; 360 photo timelapse cannot go below one frame every 2 seconds, and single-lens mode has no photo timelapse at all
- Horizon Lock cannot be applied in-camera while recording 360, only in the app afterwards (camerajabber), and the workflow is phone-first: Quik app, with GoPro Player on the desktop and Premiere and Resolve plug-ins, and Wi-Fi offloading that Expert Reviews calls frustratingly slow
In Depth
True 8K, and what each frame rate costs
The 360 ladder runs 8K at 7680 × 3840 for 30/25/24fps, 5.6K at 5376 × 2688 for 60/50/30/25, and 4K at 3328 × 1664 for 100/90/60/50, which GoPro sells as up to 2X and 3X slow motion. There is no 6K step in GoPro's list or in Backscatter's, and 5.6K is present in both, so the gap is in the camera and not in the reading. Single-lens capture is 4K across a 180-degree field of view at 60/50/30/25/24fps, plus 1080p at 60 and 50. Colour is where the 8K mode earns its place: 10-bit with GP-Log and a LUT.
Two sensors, and low light before and after November
There are two Type 1/2.3 sensors here (6.17 × 4.55 mm), not one, and the figure is not GoPro's: neither the product page nor the press release publishes a sensor size. DPReview, Backscatter, Expert Reviews and HYPOXIC's teardown agree on it, and the teardown names the parts as two stacked Sony IMX677 CMOS on the GP2 processor. Low light needs a date attached. In the launch review period Stuff found no dedicated low-light mode where the Insta360 X5 and DJI Osmo 360 have one, and called the footage noisy and smeary. The firmware of 19 November 2025 added Noise Reduction and GoPro Labs added Low Light Capture Optimization, both after those reviews were published.
Heat, not the battery, sets the length of an 8K take
Stuff recorded just under 30 minutes of continuous 8K30 before the camera shut itself down with battery still remaining, and got closer to an hour at 5.6K, ending with around 10% left. Expert Reviews independently found the body warm after 20 minutes of 8K and saw a thermal shutdown around the 30-minute mark. HYPOXIC's teardown puts numbers behind it: the mandatory-shutdown tier is 85 °C at the DSP, 78 °C at the sensors and 75 °C at the battery, with the 12nm GP2 named as the source. The pack is a removable 1960 mAh Cold-Weather Enduro, up from 1600 mAh on the 2019 MAX.
Lenses that twist off, and what the swap costs
The glass lenses come off by hand, and GoPro states no special calibration is needed afterwards; replacements are sold separately, and Backscatter lists the aperture behind them as f/1.8. The shape of the camera carries the cost: 48.7 mm from glass lens to glass lens, where the 2019 MAX was 25 mm lens to lens, against a body 26 mm thick and 64.0 × 69 mm across the faces — two measurements, not a contradiction. Weight is published twice as well: 190 g by HYPOXIC's teardown, 195 g by Backscatter, Stuff and Expert Reviews, and no source explains the 5 g.
Six years after the MAX, and beside the HERO13 Black
DPReview counts a six-year wait from the original MAX, which shipped from GoPro.com on 24 October 2019 and reached retail the next day with 5.6K 360 video, 16.6MP stills, single-lens 1440p and a 1600 mAh battery, at 154 g — that 154 g belongs to the 2019 camera. The MAX on sale immediately before this one was the refresh of 18 February 2025, which added the MAX Enduro battery and full 1/4-20 compatibility and left 5.6K unchanged. The HERO13 Black is not the model MAX 2 replaces: it is a single-lens flagship from September 2024 with a 1/1.9-inch sensor, 5.3K60, 4K120 and 10 m of waterproofing, twice the MAX 2's 5 m.
How this score is put together
8.4 out of 10
- Image quality Weight 25% 7.8
two Type 1/2.3 sensors
- Video Weight 20% 9.0
8K30 360 degrees
- Handling and build Weight 20% 8.4
360 stitching with HyperSmooth, 5 m waterproof
Scored against action and 360 cameras. The overall figure is the weighted mean of the rows above — it is computed, not set by hand.
How It Compares
| Spec | GoPro MAX 2 | Insta360 X4 | GoPro Hero 13 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensor | 1/2.3" x2 | 1/2" | 1/1.9" |
| Video | 8K30 360° | 8K30 360° | 5.3K60 |
| AF Points | Fixed | ||
| IBIS | — | FlowState | HyperSmooth 6.0 |
| Buy | Check price at Amazon | Check price at Amazon | Check price at Amazon |
Recommended Accessories
Essential gear to maximize your GoPro MAX 2 experience:
SanDisk Extreme 512GB microSD
8K 360 video writes at 60 to 120 Mbps, and up to 300 Mbps through GoPro Labs; GoPro recommends a card rated v30 or UHS-3.
SmallRig BUT2664 Mini Tripod
The body carries a 1/4-20 thread next to the folding fingers, so a threaded grip holds it without an adapter.
Ulanzi MT-79
360 photo timelapse cannot go below one frame every 2 seconds, which means long stretches of standing still.
More gear guides: Best TripodsBest Camera BagsBest SD Cards
FAQ
Does the GoPro MAX 2 actually shoot 8K?
Yes, as 360 video: 7680 × 3840 at 30, 25 and 24fps, in 10-bit with GP-Log and a LUT, at 60 Mbps as standard, raised to 120 Mbps, and up to 300 Mbps through GoPro Labs. Below that the ladder is 5.6K (5376 × 2688) to 60fps and 4K (3328 × 1664) to 100fps, and neither GoPro's list nor Backscatter's has a 6K step. The practical limit is not the mode but how long it runs: Stuff measured just under 30 minutes of continuous 8K30 before the camera shut itself down, with battery left over.
How long can it record before it overheats?
At 8K30, about half an hour in two independent reports. Stuff got just under 30 minutes of continuous recording before a self-shutdown, with battery remaining; Expert Reviews found the body warm at 20 minutes and saw a thermal shutdown around the 30-minute mark. Dropping to 5.6K takes it closer to an hour, and Stuff ended that run with around 10% battery. HYPOXIC's teardown reads the mandatory-shutdown thresholds as 85 °C at the DSP, 78 °C at the sensors and 75 °C at the battery, and points at the 12nm GP2 as the heat source. The battery itself is a removable 1960 mAh Cold-Weather Enduro.
Can the lenses really be swapped at home?
That is the design. The glass lenses twist off by hand in a couple of minutes, GoPro states "No special lens calibrations needed", and replacements are sold separately; the aperture behind them is f/1.8, from Backscatter's table. Two caveats come from reviewers rather than the manufacturer. Stuff reported condensation inside the lens when moving between temperature environments and suspects the removable design does not seal airtight, which is its speculation and not a measurement. And GoPro's own 19 November 2025 release describes Depth Smoothing as reducing stitch line artifacts and warping in high-motion scenes, which is the manufacturer acknowledging stitch lines in exactly that situation.
MAX 2 or HERO13 Black?
They are not the same job, and one does not replace the other. MAX 2 records the whole sphere at 8K30 in 10-bit with GP-Log, takes 29MP 360 stills, carries six microphones and built-in GPS, and offers single-lens 4K60 at 180 degrees as a secondary mode. The HERO13 Black, from September 2024, is a single-lens camera with a 1/1.9-inch sensor, 5.3K60, 4K120, 27MP stills, HyperSmooth 6.0 and a 1900 mAh Enduro battery. Two lines favour the HERO13 Black: waterproofing to 10 m against 5 m, and no 360 stitching workflow to manage. If the footage has to be reframed after the fact, or GPS and six-microphone 360 audio matter, that is MAX 2.
