Are you a professional streamer or on your way to becoming one? Then you must have a stream deck. Elgato’s stream deck allows you to execute complex commands in OBS Studio, Youtube, Twitch, and Streamlabs. Instead of having to do 5-6 steps just to execute a simple command, the Elgato Stream Deck will allow you to do whatever you want with the push of a button.
The Elgato Stream Deck features 15 fully customizable LCD keys that are configurable through their Stream Deck software. You get integrated support for Twitch, Twitter, TipeeeeStream, and many other platforms that you may use.
“But can’t I do all of that with a macro on my keyboard?” – You might ask. The answer is not really because macros are not nearly as versatile. Macros can conflict with game key binds. Even if you have dedicated macro keys, you can’t do a lot of stuff that the Elgato Stream Deck can, such as activating Slow Chat on Twitch. Let’s see what else it can do.
Elgato Stream Deck – Live Content Creation Controller
Features
The Elgato Stream Deck has one of the coolest ways to solve macro organization – it has LCD keys. You can put pretty much any picture onto the tiny LCD which you just can’t do with a regular old key. The image creator you use to make the photos is easy to use and very convenient because you can do whatever you want.
The keys even feature automatic dimming of the scenes which are not in use at the moment, which means that you will always know what your viewers see at any given moment.
You can also make folders in the Stream Deck App and add folders within folders, in case the number of keys was not enough for your streams. The direct integration for all common platforms used by streamers allows for additional functionality that would otherwise be impossible to get.
The Elgato Stream Deck is also useful for people who do a lot of video editing. Because the keys are so easy to program, you can make custom scripts which you can then execute by pushing a single button.
It also comes with a nice adjustable stand to position the stream deck exactly the way you want so that you can see all the buttons and what they do.
Design; Quality
The design is pretty simple and minimalistic. It is a little black box with a bunch of customizable LCD keys. The LCD keys are surprisingly sharp for such a tiny size. You will be able to distinguish great detail when you look at the key. Other than the Elgato Stream Deck logo at the top, there is not much else to say about its looks.
The adjustable stand is well-thought-out. You can put it into almost any position that you want and it will stay like that. Pressing the buttons won’t feel weird and the stream deck won’t move around the desk if you have propped it up.
Everything about the Elgato Stream Deck feels solid. The quality of the LCD keys is excellent. They feel nice to the touch and they look very nice.
Pros; Cons
- The main benefit that the Elgato Stream Deck brings is its convenience. If you are a professional streamer, you just can’t waste time alt-tabbing to adjust something about the stream. This stream deck will allow you to execute complex scripts and macros with a single button push, which you just can’t do with a regular keyboard.
- The main benefit that the Elgato Stream Deck brings is its convenience. If you are a professional streamer, you just can’t waste time alt-tabbing to adjust something about the stream. This stream deck will allow you to execute complex scripts and macros with a single button push, which you just can’t do with a regular keyboard.
- The quality is great. The LCD keys look and feel high-quality.
- The main downside is the price which shows that it is oriented towards professional streamers, not beginners.
Conclusion
The Elgato Stream Deck is an amazing device that can do a lot of things for you with the push of a button thanks to its incredible integrated functionality and platform support. The LCD keys are very sharp and they feel great too. Creating images and commands in the software is super easy.
If you are a professional streamer, this stream deck is a smart investment. You will save a lot of time with it because you won’t have to alt-tab all the time. The price makes it hard to recommend for new streamers, though.
