Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 White – Studio
Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 White – Studio Controller, 15 macro keys, trigger actions in apps and software like OBS, Twitch, YouTube and more, works with Mac and PC
| Weight: | 145 g |
| Dimensions: | 8.4 x 11.8 x 2.5 cm; 145 Grams |
| Brand: | Elgato |
| Model: | 20GBA9901-wt |
| Colour: | White |
| Manufacture: | Corsair |
| Dimensions: | 8.4 x 11.8 x 2.5 cm; 145 Grams |
Love this stream deck, so versatile and easy to use. Amazed at the features that it comes with. Highly recommend this for any streamer and even to have fun on discord.
I’m not a streamer so I bought this purely for fun. It doesn’t do anything unique, everything you’d use it for can be done with a keyboard, mouse and macros but having set it up it’s great to just press a button to set a string of actions in motion.
I’d like to find a way to connect this with smart devices like my doorbell camera.
Using this for work, I am a teacher in higher education. I need to mark a LOT of assignments and have to type the same stuff repeatedly. I have the Stream Deck mini set up to automate all the mundane repetitive stuff leaving me free to pay attention to the student’s work.
I also use it for easy control of online lessons, mute, unmute and all sorts of other functions at the touch of a button.
I found setting it up confusing at first, but one YouTube video later and I was all over it. Wish I’d got one years ago.
I am a gamer. This product is brilliant for various games, simulation or otherwise. It is highly configurable and has many plugins.
I’ve got dashboards for my normal desktop mode, allowing me to quickly and easily open programs and/or websites with a button press.
I’ve got dashboards for American Truck Simulator, Euro Truck Simulator 2, Farming Simulator and will add more for other games as I play them.
I’ve got a Spotify plugin so can control Spotify from within games, through nested folders on the stream deck.
The individual button screens are sharp, nicely lit and the unit fits very neatly on my desk.
Would recommend for anyone considering.
Been using it for a while and have no problem with it. The only complain I have is mine seem to be a bit loose and doesn’t fit the case properly, so I can’t really hold it and move it around unless I am very careful with it. I don’t see anyone else with the same problem as me so I could just be unlucky with mine.
Does what it advertises. I mostly use it with Ecamm. Makes a world of difference.
It works very well. I use it to launch games & apps. Quality is very good.
Only small issue I have is that the button travel is a little too much.
Overall I would recommend it.
The stream deck is perfect for streaming and recording.
The soundboard feature is also really good, you can get loads of sound effects from youtube and other websites and it is amazing to prank your friends with when your on a discord call.
Definitely recommend
This, in my opinion, is one of the most useful and versatile tech gadgets ever invented. I use mine to initiate software, trigger macros, check setting on my PC and trigger shortcuts.
I have a “home page” that contains my most-used software – complete with relevant icons. When I select any icon the app will open and the Stream Deck screen automatically changes to reveal my most-used (and most easily forgotten) shortcuts relevant to that software, complete with icons and, in some cases, moving video images.
Among my most used software I have Affinity Photo, Affinity Designer, DaVinci Resolve, FL Studio, PowerPoint and more. My home screen also includes a clock, CPU usage meter, colour picker, internet speed tester, and shortcuts to the calculator, character map and snipping tool.
I also have single-button routines that open multiple apps simultaneously – a very useful timesaver for streaming routines, for example.
It’s so useful I bought another one for my laptop.
An amazing product. I use it for work flow. I have so many screens and apps open. This device simplifies everything and just works. It also allows pagination albeit you loose buttons for that functionality, so good on Elgato for allowing that. Suberb product. Don’t waste your time with other products.
Originally bought for gaming for controlling sound outputs.
Found myself using it daily for quick links to playlists, websites and scripts that would auto run programs.
Unfortunately, after around 6 months use, the buttons became unreliable and would take up to 4 presses to do what I wanted it to do. Would often to smudging whilst pressing it.
Other than that, great piece of kit.
I’m not a streamer, but this is a super useful macro pad to speed up common tasks or to save you from learning keyboard shortcuts (which can be a bit overwhelming if you use many different applications, or just don’t fancy remembering all the magic keystrokes). You can set each button to do a variety of things such as opening applications (not much time saving if they are on your task bar), opening websites (can be quicker than navigating bookmarks), opening files (can be super useful for templates or commonly used files and saves navigating to them), keyboard shortcuts (helpful for commonly used functions that are otherwise buried in menus), and media controls (quick access to mute, etc).
Each button can also be set to any icon plus text (you can even create your own icons or download user created sets). Most macro-pads use basic blank buttons, which are much less intuitive. There are others that allow buttons to be labelled, but some of these are more expensive than this stream deck mini.
6 buttons may not seem like much, but one of the most useful features is that you can set up a default set of buttons when you are using the Windows desktop (or Mac equivalent), and then individual sets of buttons depending on which application you are running. So, for example, the buttons will change automatically to a set of buttons specifically for Photoshop, Microsoft Word, or whatever application you are using (you can choose any application, not just a supported set) if you set it up – which is relatively painless to do.
On top of this you can also add folders, such that a folder button will take you to an additional page of buttons, enabling more buttons per application.
As an example, I set up the stream deck such that starting Photoshop will set up the buttons to some commonly used editing functions (e.g. duplicate layer), but then I have a folder button set up that takes me to a set of buttons that open frequently used template files. This is much quicker than selecting “open” and then navigating to the files (or hoping they are still in the recently opened list).
These may sound like small productivity gains, but it just makes actions that were previously several mouse moves & clicks into a single button press, which just feels much more efficient & less work.
Button displays are clear & colourful, and the buttons responsive to touch.
Overall, I wish I’d got one of these years ago, it’s a pleasure to use & just makes life that little bit easier.
A small thing to note : the instructions tell you to plug this directly into your computer, not into a USB hub. I’ve no idea what issues this might cause, but if you’re out of spare USB ports, this is something to consider with your set-up.
It could do with a better stand and has some design problems posted in the one star review but this is otherwise a versatile tool that has made video recording so much easier for me.
Its a great product overall. It comes with a usb type to usb type c which gives it a good response time. It is extremely programmable and very fun to use.
Its good for games like setting up macros, muting your microphone and even changing audio devices.
Allows for really easy keybind clicking without holding fn, shift or ctrl.
A downside is it doesn’t work very well on a usb hub as it requires a lot of powe
Works great. Would highly recommend. I bought the ‘classic/mark1’ 15 key version when it was on sale for 89 and it was an absolute bargain.
For anyone on the fence for getting one of these like my partner was, I would say go for it. He hasn’t used it to it’s full potential yet but there are so many things you can programme the keys to do, from being a folder to open more things, to being able to mute calls, it will save long processes of opening software individually etc. plus there are many adds ons available for it, so it really is one of those items that you don’t realise how useful they are until you have one. I hope this helps 🙂
I recently brought a mini stream deck and what a bit of kit! CHECK OUT GILBROZ GAMING CHANNEL YOUTUBE PEOPLE! This little device makes everything so easy and fluent .
Used for launching apps quicker which it does well. However, it is not really needed.
Not got into streaming yet… but use it for quick access for much needed tools, links etc. Had it for a month… May have been 130… but it gets a lot of use. For everyday tasks… love it. Should be the same once I get into streaming content!!!
I’ll be honest. I do not use it for gaming or live-streaming. I have been using it as a general productivity macro control and it has been great. I jump between multiple pro apps on my desktop and as such there can be a lot of shortcuts to remember, so it is really nice to have something that I can use to consolidate this process. I honestly can’t live with ou
From the Elgato website download the software for either Mac OS / Windows.
Once installed and setup the device works seamlessly as a Macropad or, as a controller for your webcams or for your LED light setup.
If you have or are about to buy Neewer LED lights, then install the associated plug-in to control them using this Mini Stream Deck. In fact, I am thinking of using this particular device purely for webcam/control.
The Elgato Store has an immense library of PlugIns for music, sound effects, Icons and streaming.
Hands down this is my best purchase of 2022.
I finally decided to purchase the stream deck after many months of putting it off. I can honestly say i do not regret it.
From out of the box to setting it up was just one easy task.
Configuring the layout and functions was super easy.
I would highly recommend.
It makes life so much easier and don’t think you are limited to just 32 keys, the software has been upgraded and now you can have sub layers on each key so you effectively have an unlimited number of keys.
So why did I buy a second one I hear you ask, well that is so that I can have one by my right hand and one by my left. The only think limiting you with the use of these devices is your imagination, so go buy one and enjoy the time savings you will make.
Watch some videos on YouTube on how to set it up and you will wonder why you never got one before.
Quality made device. Easy to use. No problems at all. Lots of 3rd party apps to use with it. Great when you are gaming or streaming but also useful to use generally with your pc. Very happy with this purchase.
This Stream Deck seams every bit as good as the MkII version. No it doesn’t have a detachable cable and the stand is possibly a bit more light-weight. But I really like the fact that it has an adjustable angle compared to the MkII. It basically does everything that the MkII does and I paid considerably less for this than the MkII. I’m very pleased with my purchase. I already had the mini version with 6 buttons but that really is quite limited in what you can do – or you need Lots of profiles/pages to store all the options which gets a bit messy.
My first point is that the cable could be longer, my pc is on the right of my desk and won’t reach to the left side.
Easily fixed by purchasing another cable.
Buttons are nice to press, they’re like a cross between a mechanical and a membrane but more membrane.
The display is bright, screensaver options.
The software is insanely easy to use.
If you don’t need macros and/or a specific use case for this, don’t buy it.
I personally use it for pausing and playing media while in games, as well as doing macros for other applications.
I love as well that you can change the icons and really customise the look and feel on it. Overall, I am happy with it. I just hope that some of the integrations with other providers can be improved in time.
Ive had this (and the original 15 key version) for 3 and 4 years repectively and they are very good. I have no need of all the media nonsense and mine are used purely as program launchers including assigning frequently used documents to specific keys. I like the customisation of key images though it is quite fiddly to get to work properly. Program enhancements are released quite frequently but after an upgrade a couple of years ago I have found the software closes down without notificaton so you sit there proddng keys that no longer work – restart the software and all is well again. Its a bit of an irritation rather than a major issue but a shame hence not 5 stars throughout. Would I buy this again – yes I’m sure I would!!!
Caution if you owned a Mk.2 and thinking of moving to an XL consider. The screen quality is not as good to the point where the contrast is much lower and it makes it difficult to see what is on the screen. Resulting in low contrast, yellow colour cast and distorted screen dimensions. So keep that in mind if you intend to get one. Perhaps Elgato may release a new version of the XL. May be worth waiting till that one is released if quality matters more than price.
I used to have the bigger one of these, but home working means I am limited on desk space nowadays. The Stream Deck Mini is an excellent little item with more functionality than you might think given its small size.
The software that is supplied means you can program the buttons for hundreds of different functions. I have mine configured to launch apps from the desktop (more than six, as you can have folders assigned to buttons too). Then, for any particular app, I add functions that take over the buttons when the app is focussed – so for example, in Microsoft Teams I have toggles for mute and camera, a screen sharing button and a leave meeting button.
Adding such functions to real buttons (instead of being hidden behind a weird keystroke in software) is transformative, and more than justifies the price of these units. The software is really easy to use and quite intuitive.
I’m no gamer, no streamer. I use this as a home office productivity tool. I really like it. Here are some use cases:
MS Teams: profile to join, end call. Mute/unmute. Turn on/off camera. Put hand up/ down.
Shortcuts: use for server shortcuts to quickly access common areas
Weblinks: single button launch for websites. Also have saved in user names and passwords for certain sites so I can access and login in a matter of clicks.
Spotify controller: skip songs, play, pause etc.
The world is your oyster.
Back in the days it was little bit pricey and basically advertised as tool for gamers / streamers.
I am using it mostly with Mac, currently M1 with no issue.
It helps me with remembering all crazy shortcuts in programing that I never remember.
Also because I am using 2 IDEs and 3 OSs it is crazy to remember every shortcut / feature that I need and this deck come in place and helps me.
Super user frendly, I set a button in few seconds.
Also it is possible to work with custom scripts but in apple env I prefer to have a script file and then open it by pishing a button.
I have never try to make custom features as I have everything that I need.
32 buttons but it may goes to 32 folders with 32 buttons and more including changing profiles directly from a button etc.
I have try to use an phone app as deck, but it has no cable connection option which my be problem, also if I use the phone, the battery health with goes quickly down.
So overall the deck is not only suitable for gamers, it is perfect helper to coders / IT related stuff.
Combining this with OBS has taken my virtual meetings to a different level. Eg With one button, I can switch from a full screen virtual green screen with overlaid company logo etc, to a ‘clean’ view of some content I want to show, with just my face in a Picture in Picture, and then back into full screen video conference view. I can mute/turn my camera on and off, overlay the weather forecast, I can have a little reminder of my current IP address to hand if I need it, glance to see the time, launch common apps I need, control PowerPoint .the list is endless, basically whatever your imagination comes up with that might make it better working remotely with virtual meetings, this can help make easier and slicker.
And then if you want, you can flip profiles and have a completely different set up for gaming, or streaming or anything else.
If you’re unsure about the investment, I suggest trying the phone/tablet app virtual button app first. It gives fewer buttons and ties up a device, but it lets you experiment with what is possible for a fraction of the investment, and anything you try and like, is easily transferred to use with this ‘big brother’ version if you decide to get it later.
It adds a great level of immersion to Euro Truck Simulator 2 (someone has created custom icons for it too if you Google it), efficiency to Defense Grid 2 (I created icons including the tower and the prices, as well as uprades etc.) and I made a quick and dirty setup for Paint.Net, which made the icon creation much faster.
In addition to this I’m using it for:
– Philips Hue lighting in the room it’s in
– Spotify control on my computer and an Echo device
– Train Sim World 2 (this was free and seemed like a good test)
– Starting a Linux VM in VMware Workstation (there are further control I could add to this)
– Starting specific applications
I can definitely see me using this on more games, especially simulators and strategy games, possibly binding scripts for easier automation and finding efficiencies for repetitive tasks in different apps.
There are a fair few plugins, but these are mainly geared towards streamers (no surprise there) but there are a few for graphics related apps too. The hotkey, hotkey switch, multi action and multi action switch really make up for this. I’ve not pushed these too far but they seem great so far e.g. in ETS2 I press a key to turn on the ignition, delay for a second and then starts the engine, if I press the button a second time it turns the engine off, the two states have different icons.
You can even use animated gifs for the icons, although I’ve read that the overuse of these can cause performance issues (unsure if that’s the case on the MK2). It’s perfect for a hazard light indicator in ETS2 though!
If I had to add one criticism, it’s that it could do with a bit more anti-slip by either being grippier or heavier, it’s not terrible on that front and I could probably find a solution myself but worth mentioning for a fair review.
The 15 seems to be a perfect size, the XL is tempting but at that point it almost a keyboard from a finding-the-right-key perspective, though not having used to XL you can take my opinion with a pinch of salt and it’ll really depend on how you want to use it. As well as having profiles (that auto-switches when an exe is running and selected) each icon can be a folder which can contain other folders, I’m not sure if there are depth limits.
All-in-all this piece of kit is so customisable that it’d be difficult not to find a use for it if you are a regular computer user. Highly recommend!
Headphones and Mics:
I use it to switch between headphones and microphones. The stream deck is great as it allows you to switch between microphones and playback devices. For example if I want to use one pair of headphones and want to switch my playback to that then i can by setting a key to do that functionality. However if i want to switch back or switch to another pair i can then click a button. But you have switch the mic and the playback separately. So for example say your headphones have a mic in them and you want to use a separate mic you can do that by selecting the mic you want through the stream deck instead of going through all the settings and then changing that one to default. For example you can have Headphone1 Mic and Headphones2 Mic and Webcam Mic as buttons and switch between them. Same situation with headphones. So that makes it really convenient as it changes the default one and then that means software’s will automatically change to.
Voicemod:
This is a cool little extra feature that was added my Elgato to the stream deck and it is for a little fun. As mentioned before you can set a button to change to the voice mod output however it wont change the mic selected on the software you have to change that manually. You can do funny things like change your voice and censor words with a beep button and you can pick random voices but you if you want a particular one you have to buy the pro version. You can also hear yourself and can turn on and off through the elgato stream deck which is really convenient.
Zoom:
The elgato stream deck can be used in zoom calls and be used for a full list of things that i will list:
Mute toggle, Video Toggle, Share Toggle, Focus, Leave Meeting, Cloud Record Toggle, Local record Toggle, Ask all to Unmute, Mute all Participants, Custom Shortcut. This is good for zoom calls an there is not much to add as it works seamlessly.
YouTube:
You can use it to control YouTube. I don’t use it for this however it does allow you to chat a message through a click of a button and you also have another option of viewers. That is all you can do with YouTube as of default.
Mute and Unmute:
When in any call or meeting you can use the elgato stream deck to mute and unmute and it will work with any program and call because it mutes the mics internally and not through that software so if you are in 2 calls and want to mute on one then you cant through this unless that other one is a zoom call, that is where you can mute using the zoom mute button that is enables through the elgato stream deck.
Games:
This is useful for games as you can function it to do specific binds or to do things in games instead of binding things to using keyboard binds. It is not built to control games exactly but is useful and you have to find your own use in what games you play and what you want it for. This is too universal to gives any examples on.
OBS:
Whatever you could image you can do on here. You can change scenes. You can also mute your mic and also desktop audio. There are so many options that there is no limit here and you can do anything you can image through obs. There are YouTube videos that cover all the combinations as it would take too long to cover in a minor review.
Twitter:
You can tweet a specific tweet on that you have binded to a button and will automatically do that. This is mainly towards streams but you can bind anything you want here really. Also you can change name on here to.
System:
This is what you would expect that this should be able to do like open a website, hotkey switch, act as a hotkey, open something like a program, type text, and uses as multimedia controller.
Spotify:
There is a plugin that you can enable that allows you integrate and control Spotify from your stream deck.
Lighting:
You can control Philips hue with this as there is a plug in that can be enables and controls Philips hue lights and same with corsair icue.
Build:
The build of the elgato stream deck is great and it does not come with a stand but it does have a rubber button to stop it from being pushed back then being uses however it can be a bit annoying but nothing major. Also when you lock your computer you can keep any screen saver on the stream deck.
In conclusion, there are a lot more functions that one can use this for streamers and non streamers.
It does everything. I’m not over-egging that pudding, it does everything. I’ve got shortcuts set up for pretty much every action I can think of. To start using a Streamdeck is to open a massive can of worms, it gets everywhere. You can customise every button to do whatever command you can think of, and not just for gaming and streaming. I’ve got shortcuts set up for all kinds of applications, and functions within those applications. I’ll press a single button and Streamlabs opens, along with my Logitech camera app, Youtube, Facebook Live and Twitch. I’ll press another single button and all my editing apps open such as Photoshop, Lightroom, Premier and Audition. I control my microphone mute button, the speakers mute button, shortcuts to certain web pages. And because every button is so customisable there’s a seemingly infinite number of operations. You may only have 15 buttons but you can configure them to open the next set of 15 buttons, and then the next set. You’re limited only by how much time you want to devote to setting it up.
It works so well with Streamlabs too. I’ve got a button set up for my most used games (Street Kart on iOS, Dirt Rally 2.0, GT Sport and F1 2020 on PS5) because when I’m streaming I have the page set up differently with the number and position of cameras changing depending on the game. I press one button and Streamlabs defaults to my Street Kart layout with cameras all to one side of the screen, and another press and GT Sport moves my cameras to a different location and my pedal camera comes on. It’s genuinely fantastic and I’d be lost without it now.
The Stream Deck software is a solid app, allowing you to do all of you customisations. You can set the buttons up to do pretty much any action you can think of. Put in the directory location of any software and it can open apps. Link video or audio files, and even link your Philips Hue bulb actions to it…whatever takes your fancy.
My only criticism is that in hindsight I perhaps should have gone for the 32 button version. The 15 button one is great, and can be configured to do as much as the 32 buttons, but I can really see the benefit of having more buttons available at one time rather than going into sub-menus.
I think Elgato have mismarketed this product.
It’s supposedly come out of the world of streamers, who need a quick way to trigger different camera positions and apps like Twitch and OBS and their audio settings.
However this product could really be seen as a replacement for your Windows desktop, and if it could double the number of keys – it could take over as your keyboard.
Verry few of us have ever bothered customizing the hell out of out Windows shortcuts and out desktops. Microsoft tried hard to give us live tiles but because they’re not on the screen all of the time and had to all fit on one page – it never got anywhere. But the StreamDeck is a revelation.
My Windows PC was cluttered previously with desktop icons. apps added to the start bar, utilities to show my PC memory, temperture – I’ve now moved all of those to the Elgato.
Now I have buttons in front of me 24/7 with short cuts to top websites, to my favourite apps.
Fantastic
I have setup 3 panels of buttons on my (Large variant 32 button variant) which are known as profiles. You can switch to another profile by setting up a button, say in the corner of your panel, to go to the next panel. Alternatively you can load a profile in the simple to use software that comes with it.
I use it with the game Elite: Dangerous on PC and Windows 10.
You can configure all the buttons to be any macro of your choice.
The macro may be a sequence of buttons or launch of program option(s), include delays, write text with character depress mini-delays if necessary, launch a link into a browser, all sorts.
There is plenty of support from keen users who’ve written their own macro utility libraries which are available for you to download if you want also.
I had a lot of fun configuring my Stream deck with specific stuff for the game Elite:Dangerous and making or using icons from the internet which are beautifully lit up on the really ergonomic and nice feel button pad in bright colours and clearly backlit. You can give each button some text also and position it/font it how you like.
I have set two buttons for Toggling Live Stream to Twitch and one to record. However, I rarely stream really. For me the joy is in using the button pad to perform numerous operations in game in an automated manner. Furthermore, I’ve only touched the tip of the iceberg since I’ve only configured it for one game; namely Elite: Dangerous.
Highly Recommended. 5 Stars all round.
PS What on earth does the word “Sheerness” mean? I’ve googled everywhere and every product review that Amazon asks you to make asks you to rate sheerness. I know it’s a place in the UK but the word has no definition. Why is Amazon asking us to rate products based on a word so obscure that even google with it’s access to a plethora of worldwide information doesn’t know?!
Its easy to set up, the interface is stable and intuitive and you can program it to do nearly anything you want on your PC.
I`ve been using it with:-
– Normal Windows tasks and shortcuts.
– My D.A.W.`s (Digital Audio Workstations), e.g. Ableton Live, Acid Pro 8, Music Maker.
– Flight Simulation software, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2020, FSX, Aerofly and others.
– Many Steam Games.
– Calibre, (editing Book metadata etc).
– Accessing favorite websites.
And these are just the things I`ve thought of so far.. Basically if you can do it with a keyboard, then this unit can do it with a single button press, its a macro button unit on steroids.. You can store shortcuts, websites, key combinations or sequences under each button, You can use folders to extend the number of macro`s/buttons available in a profile, you can store different profiles, and you can even play games on it. The device is aimed at streamers but can be used with virtually any windows software to create single button shortcuts.
The device is well constructed and connects via USB 3, it has a USB 3 Type 3 female jack on the actual unit and is supplied with a good quality (replaceable) lead to connect it to a USB 3 Type A connector. (I`m told it will also work on USB 2).
The display is bright and adjustable and can be configured in detail. In addition to button programming or configuration, you can choose what icon each button shows, the font can also be changed.
This is a Highly recommended piece of kit for anyone who wants to increase their workflow, whether they are a streamer or just a normal PC user.
So after watching handfuls of video reviews on the Stream Deck, I decided to bite the bullet and just go for it. So far it has been an absolute game changer! Since it has direct integration with the likes of OBS Studio, it bypasses the whole problem of OBS Studio not registering hotkey presses unless it is the “in-focus” window (unless you faff about with which program runs as admin – but I’m sure I tried this also before I bought the Stream Deck and it was very hit or miss for me…)
Since Elgato changed the amount of folders to be unlimited, the possibilities are truly endless for what you can do on the Stream Deck! I have a Twitch folder which contains another 5 folders inside it, for example. From keys to changing scenes, to enabling/disabling sources, to changing stream title or sending a chat message on command, I really wish I could go over everything that can be done, but since you can even program your own system hotkeys or use multi-actions, the possibilities are literally endless.
There are a bunch of preloaded software actions when you load up the Stream Deck software, but you can also browse for more (for example, I have Voicemeeter Potato actions set up to change my A1 output between my speakers or headphones, which is SUPER handy because it saves me having to open the program to change it whenever I’m done playing a game and want to chill out watching YouTube – and I also have a restart audio engine key assigned for the odd occasion that the software glitches out, and I also have dynamic keys set up for Discord mute and deafen which update on each page which had to be manually programmed but was super easy by following a video from the developer).
From simple tasks such as opening a game or your web browser to complex actions like pressing one key to; open OBS, open a game, open your music playing software and start playing, start streaming and send out a tweet to say you’re live (from ONE KEY PRESS!) – your imagination genuinely is the limit.
Custom key icons are also great, and you can find loads of packs for the majority of software/actions you might create, and if not, you can use Elgato’s webpage for creating your own from scratch! Overall I can highly recommend this, even for a small streamer starting out to have in their repertoire.
This piece of kit rocks, there’s so much customization you can do with the streamdeck and its just the right size to fit anywhere on your desk for easy access.
Due to the extensive customization abilities this product has you can have as little or as many buttons as you want available at any time by keeping hotkeys in folders and creating your own shortcuts or using the hundreds of presets available to you through the provided software that comes with this product which is super easy to use to beginners or experts alike.
My one gripe with the 15 key stream deck is that the wire length could be a meter or two longer and maybe a little thicker just to be on the safe side. Otherwise this piece of kit will save you a lot of time and make streaming extremely fun for you.
I personally use soundboards, scene transitions, discord mute & deafen integrations, Nvidia shadowplay shortcuts, Twitch chat preset messages, ad shortcuts, twitter & facebook go-live post shorcuts and more. Recently I’ve been using this to create shortcuts of my own in photoshop to select different tools & brushes using one button only which works extremely well.
I would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes streaming & those technically minded individuals who want more quick shortcuts to improve their workflow.
Then I received my order…!
This thing is so powerful and so flexible that I guarantee no matter how few buttons you thought you’d use, you’ll fill it very quickly and wish you’d bought the XL!
I realised that it could do way more than I originally expected and started using it for music production. It has the ability to intelligently switch layouts to correspond with the software you’re using, and is a huge boost to productivity and efficiency. I hear the same feedback from all my friends who also bought one on my recommendation!
My only regret is that I didn’t buy the XL, as I could EASILY use the extra buttons. You can work around this by using folders, giving you the possibility of multiple layouts, but I like the concept of only needing one button press to achieve something. Still, with some careful planning, I could configure my Stream Deck to have the connect of “working mode” folders, so one for editing, one for composing music, etc. This would minimise the limitations of the 15-key model, until I can justify the upgrade!
The Stream Deck is such an amazing tool! I cannot believe how useful this item is. Before buying it, I never understood why getting it since its mainly for streaming and I don’t happen to stream. I can gladly confirm that this *Doesn’t* just work for streaming, I have used this for literally everything I used my computer for such as: Photoshoping shortcuts, Premiere Pro shortcuts, After Effects shortcut, Google shortcuts, Nanoleaf switch, media shortcuts (next, previous, pause) and other app shortcuts. This has significantly increased the rate at which I work on in any projects and has made the usage of opening apps for typical PC usage such a pleasure.
In addition to the functionality of the Stream Deck, the looks of it is absolutely amazing on any desk when customized to your liking. The small icons that you use are very appealing with absolutely mind blowing detail – no the screen isn’t like a monitor or high quality screen, however you can definitely put somewhat detailed images as icons and still clearly see them.
Lastly the software, I must say, very good but Very confusing at the start! I highly recommend watching a YouTube video on how to customize it to your liking. I say it’s confusing because they express their streaming compatibility on a highly overwhelming level which makes it hard to spot where all the other compatibility’s are. What I mean is that the other uses to this item outside of streaming is going to require some digging in the app to find them.
Overall, I extremely recommend using this for Everything that maybe easier to use with macro’s. I really believe that this is something everyone Needs to increase productivity. *Highly Recommend*
The XL version is absolutely great, although I started with two 15 key stream decks. Whatever size you go for, these are amazing little devices, that are versatile, fairly easy to set up, and can add value to so much more than streaming.
I haven’t stopped finding this invaluable. It’s one of the best gadgets I’ve ever bought. I don’t use this for streaming at all. With some basic functionality, I’m able to create custom buttons for anything that can have a keyboard shortcut. I was even able to work out how to get it to do more complex things. For example, I highlight a phrase in a digital book, hit one of my buttons, and it will do a search for that exact phrase. So incredibly useful and powerful.
The XL version provides 32 keys, but it’s easy to run out. But there are so many ways of organising to give you more (e.g. different profiles).
The only thing I don’t much like, is that it doesn’t start up when the computer starts, despite being on the list. When I start it manually, it opens up in configure mode, which prevents it from switching profiles automatically depending on the app I’m using. Just closing the config screen resolves this.
It’s cool that it can be associated with a specific program and switch automatically. As I usually set up a few profiles for some complex apps, I have to go to the Streamdeck menu to switch manually. It would be great if I could tell it which profiles are associated with which apps, then configure a key to automatically cycle through these profiles, so I don’t have to go to the menu each time.
Overall this is an absolute lifesaver. I just wish I had time to create beautiful icons for ever function rather than do a quick copy and paste from the app I’m using.
Replacement arrived, so far so good, everything is working, no artefacts or lines.
I am very happy with it and works great during software development. (great for pretty much anything else).
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Update after few days.
Obviously device stopped working correctly. Today morning I was welcomed by a line through 4 buttons on a top row.
I have tried different USB ports and the I’ve tried to connect it to my laptop. Unfortunately it looks like a bad quality control from Elgato manufacturer :/
Probably the LCD cable wasn’t properly installed.
I have ordered replacement from Amazon, so please read the rest of the review.
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I’ve bought it first in 2017, however, I have returned it back then due to double click issue, that supposed to be solved in further firmware updated.
I’ve bought again recently, and I have to admit that it is finally the device that I’ve hoped that it would.
I am a heavy user (working as software engineer contractor) so I use a lot for software like VS Code, Visual Studio 2017/2019, often some Adobe software in order to create psd/images/animations.
Normally I was using keyboards like Corsair K95 RGB or others in order to be able to create macros.
With Elgato Stream Deck you can not only create unlimited number of folders (which be consistent of macros, actions or other folders, so you can create folder for your development applications, then folder for each application, and then macros (unlimited number)) but also finally Elgato software can now recognise focused app and switch profile respectively. Basically, you can select one of both approaches.
I prefer a mix of those two.
Anyway, can’t see any issue with a double click, everything seems to be working nicely, and finally, I can ditch those macro keyboards that a very limited segment of keyboards.
I would recommend it, for whatever you’re doing on your PC (gamers, graphic designers, coders, software engineers, etc.).
I bout the stream-deck to help me speed up my audio and video editing and because I have always wanted a separate programmable keypad so I could open programs cut / copy / paste with the click of a single button. It covers this perfectly, even better still, it allows you to assign text or an image to the buttons – this means that you can be in Adobe Premiere for example and just glance down to see the actions you have available. In Word it is perfect for complex commands like Format Copy / Paint. Whatever you can do on your keyboard or with the mouse can be assigned to a single, identifiable button and it’s very simple to do.
You can create profiles and have each one appear when a certain program is open so once it’s set up the whole thing works seamlessly.
As far as using it for streaming goes – I don’t at the moment BUT I can see that it is the perfect partner for online streamers.
Why people are picking on the stand is way beyond me, it works well and has numerous angles and heights.
The LCD display is a single LCD panel – not individual screens as most people seem to think. The buttons just appear to have their own screen as the frame masks the LCD that way.
I bought this on Black Friday for a knockdown price but even at full price, if you know what you want it for, it is worth every penny.
The case is a nice, sturdy metal and the buttons have a stiff gel feel to them.
Personally, I love it and use it all the time now.