Elgato Stream Deck - Live Content Creation Controller with 15 customizable LCD keys, adjustable stand, for Windows 10 and macOS 10.11 or later

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I have been using the Stream Deck for five days. I must say this is exactly what I’ve been looking for. I’m NOT a streamer, but I’m an IT pro as well as a gamer. I’m always looking at cool new ways to interact with my computer over icons on a desktop or mouse / keyboard. The games I play have a lot of key binds and I do a lot of listening to audio while playing which being able to control these things without having to minimize your game is wonderful. I’ll start off by saying I’m running Windows 10 and it’s working great. For those comments that say you can’t get the Stream Deck to run key combos while you’re in game, you need to run the Stream Deck engine as admin, only because your video game or other app is running as such. Any game / app that isn’t running as Admin can be easily used without setting this. Installation is simple and easy to understand. The USB cable is fixed to the device, which does kind of suck, but I’ve been able to run it with a USB extension cable and it’s working fine. I’ve found it a sinch to get custom key icons, I just go to Google and type in whatever I’m looking for such as “Razer Logo” and download the one that looks like what I want and set it to the key which makes it much easier to learn as you can identify the keys much faster. The device is snappy and has zero lag when pushing buttons. You can make “folders” which is a button that gives you a whole new set of buttons, think of it as a folder on your smart phone when you have a group of apps. This is a super nice feature and I didn’t even expect that it would do this, but it does. I know some people say that they are bummed that it will only allow folders on the top level, but this is probably needed as making a folder structure that is 3 or 4 + layers deep would either slow down the device or just make it stop working all together. I find the size of the device to be about perfect. The buttons are not so small that you have to overly divert your concentration to hit them and they aren’t so big that it’s obnoxious. They really did make this easy to use. You can also brighten or dim the buttons depending on your environment. I find this nice as when I’m gaming at night it’s not beaming into my eyeballs. I do wish there was more functionality for things not related to streaming and such. I would like to see more multi press or even macro support like a proper mouse or keyboard driver does. I would also like to see a way to make multiple profiles, say one for work and one for gaming, this would give the device a lot more functionality. I’m going to be writing the company after this and letting them know these requests as I really do think this sort of device is the future for input. People are looking for more ways to simplify their computer use or to add that functionality that they want and this is that device. The fact that the keys are OLED screens so they are illuminated custom icons really makes this device sing. If it were like it’s competitors where you have to make tiny paper cutouts and then back light the paper, it just wouldn’t do. I would recommend this device to anyone looking for custom key inputs for their computers, games or simulators. This will be installed in my iRacing sim as a replacement button box and I’ve already told about 10 people about this and they are all buying one. Even with the fact that it’s the first version with only key press assignments or launching apps / websites, it’s still enough to get started and I look forward to what they might do in the future. I will update this review if anything changes.

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I have to say that I love this thing. I read a majority of the reviews here on Amazon before I placed my order, and I can say that 95% of the complaints in other reviews are unwarranted. Complaints others have had: - Short/Fixed USB Cable :: I dont understand this one. Every single wired keyboard and mouse Ive ever owned had a fixed cable of the same length. If it doesnt work for you, neither do your mouse and keyboard. - LCD "ripples" when you press buttons :: Try not pressing buttons like a 200lb gorilla. Mine doesnt ripple unless I really try to make it do so. - Theres no built-in functions for MYSOFTWARE :: ... This one annoys me greatly. Its built for streaming software. It literally has STREAM in the name. That said, you can set up custom key binds with custom images for the keys all you want. They work great. I have mine doing a dozen functions that technically arent supported for OBS, Photoshop, and several other programs. - It feels cheap/cheaply made :: What planet these people live on is beyond me... This thing is amazingly well built. - Theres a long delay when I press buttons! :: Try not streaming on a potato. Mine works beautifully. Any delay is on the users end. (too much BS running in the background/slow computer) - Its overpriced! :: If you think this is overpriced, you havent looked at similar products. Programmable keypads with similar functions (with NO LCD) are just as/more expensive. - Theres only one LCD, its not individual displays for each key! :: Who cares? It functions and looks great in the process. My Complaints: - Fairly minimal native OBS options. This is easily overcome with custom key binds, it would have just been nice to have things like mute mic built-in. - Always on display. It really needs to pick up on when the PC display shuts off due to inactivity and do the same. (or shut off when the computer is locked, either way) The TLDR: Its great. It works beautifully for streaming, and just as well as a general productivity helper. I dont regret ordering mine and I doubt anybody else will either.

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Absolutely worth every penny and more. The Elgato Stream Deck is something you would expect 20-years from now. In my opinion, everyone can benefit from one of these. You can access anything from your pc I.e.: Netflix, social media, multimedia, photoshop, favorite websites etc. I keep trying different configurations and it handles anything I come up with. It is easy to setup and configure. The keys are slightly larger than your keyboard keys. They are highly customizable. You can ad domain icons, photos and even create your own through the Elgato software and photoshop. They have a mechanical feel when activated without the noise. For those who travel, you can easily take the Stream Deck with you. I can see someone who travels to do a presentation or lecture never leaving home without it. A person in Sales, Marketing, Stockbrokers etc could use the Stream Deck as a tool. I am going off track a bit but I wanted to let people know that you can do a lot more with it than Streaming and recording game play. Feel free to visit my Twitch channel for a demonstration at rlgehlen. I am usually on in the evening but could login for a brief rever. Just respond to the review. You are really going to enjoy the Stream Deck.

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I bought this on a whim when I saw it on sale. I am not a streamer -- not even a gamer. (I had to look up "streamer.") But I am finding the Stream Deck pretty handy. Maybe a little early to be writing a review -- but from what I have already tried, I am pretty sure I am going to love this. If youre a non-gamer, think of this as a way-cooler version of the function keys (or, as we love to call them, Fn Keys, because of the fn key on Apple laptops, and because its fun to say). Or a poor-mans version of Apples Touch Bar. What you have here is a customizable grid of keys that can do things for you. Launch a file. Open a folder. Actuate a tool in Photoshop. Trigger a URL. Like the Touch Bar (and unlike the Fn keys), the keys are labeled electronically and change to accommodate multiple functions. The hardware is great. Very solidly built with a metal case, which gives it enough weight to stay solidly in place, whether its resting on the silicone feet on the back, or placed in the included rack, which tilts to a range of angles. Feels like a premium product. 15 clear buttons are illuminated from behind by a color LCD panel, creating the function labels. The feel of the keys is perfect -- solid, with a great snap, I can see how a gamer would like this -- working at gamer speed, you can hit a button and know it registered. Some reviews complain of a short USB cord; the one on mine is 5 feet (150 cm) so I think they made a hardware change. But the cable is still hard wired (a USB micro jack would mean you can use your own cable of whatever length you want). The software that comes with it is for gamers. Its rich with functions gamers will love but the rest of us will find of no use. But they are customizable. One of the functions is HotKey, which can fire off a key. Combined with the app Keyboard Maestro, I think this will do most of what I want (e.g. trigger Photoshop tools, since all of Photoshop has key commands). But it needs setup so I will not get full use of it right out of the box. Fair enough -- El Gato is focusing on their intended market. Expect to spend a little time with it to learn how to set it up. Fortunately the software is The El Gato website has nicely done tutorials. All are aimed at gaming but I think they cover what I need to so -- start apps, trigger hotkeys, launch files and folders, type text strings, multimedia (play, pause, volume, etc.). You can fully customize the key graphics using El Gatos nicely designed graphics or build your own. Easy to get started. Download the software (Mac or Windows) and install. Plug the Stream Deck into a USB port. Press the Welcome key that is pre-loaded and you are on the El Gato Welcome page on their website. Watch the welcome video and you see how to set up your keys. Their examples are all things gamers will understand but non-gamers will understand well enough.

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12/22 Update - nested folders have arrived. Upgrading stars to Chuck Norris status. First of all, this is not just a stream board. If you purchased it for that then be happy because it can do a ton more. If you are advanced and want a slick UI, great firmware and ease of use this is perfect. BUT it can be way better. Disclaimer, if you are a hot key master then this isnt for you. I want your memory powers though. New deck arrived. I totally didnt realize this thing didnt have nested folders. Limited to 210 actions sounded big but math can be hard :) Anyway I pitched the idea to Elgato to allow toggling layouts either on the board itself, which does take up a keys that would have to be dedicated across all layouts, or a quick toggle in the UI itself. For now I just have to save multiple layouts and load what I need for what Im doing. I quickly used up all 15 to open folders. But after I went into my first folder I created on the main board I knew I was only going to go so far. For example, I was hoping for a full 14 key layout for Premier, some of the keys within the layout are great to do quick hot keys, using hot keys in combination with other programs and folders, like bridge within so you dont have to use the back key, then folders dedicated to cuts, effects, color correction, etc... There are so many effects within each you can easily smash a new key to open up 14 new combinations of hot keys. What I really loved about this was the easy to use UI, slick board with a very manageable amount of keys which is what I hated about the larger ones. I never wanted a 48 macro board, just not for me. This board is perfect in size not to small not to big. This board can be so so so much more. Im hopeful they change the name to Everything Deck and not just Stream. People have no idea how awesome this thing can become. And not having Youtube Gaming even with version 1.2.0.1157 at the time of this comment is strange. But Im hopeful the profits earned will be invented into the UI. Which I now understand why they named it Stream Deck. Marketing to the streamers was a smart play that can earn them some hefty cash needed to advance this board. I imagine a lot of people purchasing this board want the nifty scene toggles, meme launch, mute, record, screenshot, etc... But man o man please buy this up so us advanced users can benefit from more upgrades. It goes way beyond streaming. If youre on the fence dont be. Because what separates this from others is the investment into the quality of the board, easy interface and future enhancements that the regular macro boards just dont provide. At lease none that Ive seen.

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Ordered from Amazon and Downloaded and Installed software before package arrived. I run an older but capable PC: Asus M51ac i7 4770 32gb 1600 ddr3 Kensington SSD Toshiba HDD Windows 10 Home I set up LR and PS folders to root level, then program launch with module shortcuts on next level and finally all my desired shortcut functions. For my uses, as a shortcut/hotkey trigger, this thing just blows anything else away. Nothing compares. X-Keys stick with 16 buttons is like 100! And no 2nd options. This thing can run over 200 hotkeys/commands! When the unit arrived, i was surprised at the size as i thought it would be larger. And i had read complaints on the screens resolution... but i can say, the screen is awesome! You feel the quality in your hands. And the buttons are responsive! Maybe too responsive. I did plug it in to a usb 2.0 port instead of 3.0 as ive heard some hardware like keyboards prefer 2.0. Windows instantly recognized the unit and my icons were up as soon as i looked down at it. Beautiful! The only 3 cons/opportunities for improvement are: 1. Windows 10 and MAC software ONLY. Which doesnt affect me as i always upgrade and only use for Adobe CC, but can see if you are heavily invested in software for older versions of Windows that dont have upgrade routes/options, this could be cost prohibitive and youre just out of luck here and have to spend more on an Optimus Popularis or something of that sort. 2. The buttons are SENSITIVE! I double launched a few times. But after you get used to them, you learn how much pressure to apply and how fast. So for manufacturer, take a look at adjusting sensitivity. 3. No replaceable USB cord. I feel that after a year or so, there might be problems with the cable, but that is yet to be seen. Most devices nowadays have replaceable cables. But at this price point and for what you get, its a non issue. Ill just buy another if i tug it too hard. So my conclusion, as a hotkey/shortcut trigger, there is NO better option. I dont stream, so for its intended purpose, i cant say how good it is, but for creatives in the Adobe ecosystem, it would mesh well with Palette Controllers or give you the few extra buttons that the Loupedeck lacks.

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Had the Stream Deck for a few days now and I gotta say im really impressed so far. It feels like a very premium product and looks it too. The cord is not too long at only about 3 feet or so, and theres no option to extend it. The LCD screens are very vibrant and the buttons feel solid. When you use a button that is an on/off switch (like a source on OBS) the key will light up or dim depending on whether its activated or not. I can see them in the future possibly releasing updates to add more options to what you can do with the stream deck. Some things i would like to see are live streaming controls for youtube live because currently they only allow you do comment/stream through your twitch account and I have taken youtube gaming as my home for streaming. All the hotkeys that you can program are nice and you can even set buttons to bring up certain websites at the click of a button. The option to make folders is also a very good feature; though you can only have folders on the main page. I hope they allow for more folders within folders in the future. This has been a game changing device that i have been able to use for my streams, but ive also set up some pages for Photoshop tools, and am planning on doing one for the Sony Vegas Pro tools as well. The option to tweet directly with 1 button is an awesome feature and I use it frequently. My time with he product has been short and sweet so far, and I can honestly see myself using this product (and future products of this line) for years to come! Pros: Sturdy, plastic material is light and solid Buttons have a good feel to them Stream deck doesnt move much on desk Folders option allows for hundreds of inputs twitter integration custom hotkeys Media controls (volume up/down ect.) Fast response time within stream deck and between the deck and PC On/Off hotkeys will light up/dim when on or off on the stream deck Cons: Lack of Youtube live support limited to creating folders strictly on the home screen lack of cool startup animations (though not really a con just a visual thing) Short cord and lack of changeable connection Future hopes: Release update to include support for Youtube live like the options for Twitch (chat message, subs, viewers, go live/end stream) Future models with more keys/features would be awesome. Hopefully any future models will also have longer cords/ possibly be wireless, though i admit to not knowing how this would affect the latency

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This is ridiculously easy to use, and is extremely convenient. I wish I wouldve gotten it sooner. I primarily use it to switch scenes in Xsplit and change music while in game and send chat responses to faq. This sounds simple but it makes all difference in making a stream operate smoothly. I also have had problems with streamlabs properly showing notifications (again would take an alt+tab mid game in a 5 seconds window to activate the notification), now its available at the touch of the button. The only downside is that it doesnt have integration in everything which is hard to be critical about when it works so well with what it advertises and has added in a lot in the past year since release (xsplit/mixer integration added in prompted me to finally purchase it). I would love for this to work 100% with spotify and discord. As it stands I cannot control those apps like I can for Xsplit. Id like to be able to mute my mic in discord as well as be able to control Spotify volume specifically (the multimedia volume controls are for windows volume not spotify). I use a bot program called Scorpbot that would benefit from integration as well, but its not as important as Spotify and Discord. Regardless I have only had this for less than a week and have already had so many friends inquire about it - it is not just useful for streaming it is useful for pretty much anyone who uses their computer the majority of the day. $150 isnt cheap, but the product is worth it imo.

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This is a review of the Elgato Stream Deck (USB 2.0) (Measures 118 x 84 x 21mm or 4.6” x 3.3” x .8”, is approx.. 6.7oz and is compatible with Windows 10 (64 bit) and macOS 10.11 or later.) Summary – While I am not using this for the intended purpose, I love this thing. I essentially have it programmed for my 15 most commonly used applications instead of for streaming applications. Unlike the competition, this one has amazing LCD keys while the others are limited to backlit keys. Being able to change each photo key to whatever I want them to be is great and the clarity looks very nice. Since this gets its power from the USB port, there is no extra power cable to worry about. The best part is that I do not need to use any of the Elgato capture cards to use this. It would just integrate very easily with them if you need to. Key features. 15 LCD Keys – You can customize each key separately. Each LCD uses 72 x 72 pixels. (.jpg or .png is recommended, but should also work with .bmp or .xpm) You can also adjust the brightness of the keys within the software. I have used various sized photos up to 512 x 512 with no problems at all. So far it appears you can go larger in size if you maintain the ratio. (Height and Width being the same size.) The keys have a nice feel to them and it feels like a semi hard gel I guess. It is not a hard plastic feel. The button has a noticeable depress sensation when being used is smooth and I do not have any issues with it not working quickly. This has been very reliable so far. The stand is pretty straight forward. Does not seem to be overly sturdy, but would be considered sturdy for a general use in where the stream deck does not get moved around a lot. The stand also has several notches so you can adjust it to the angle of your choice. If you want to use without the stand, you can do that as well. If you need to, this has the ability to do two functions at the same time with the touch of a single button. Just drag a second function over onto the same key to do this. You can link actions to Elgato Game Capture, OBS, Twitch, Twitter, TipeeeStream, and others. The included software is very straight forward and easy to use. The software allows you to fine tune everything and gives you a preview of your keys as you work on the setup – changes. The software allows you to use websites, launch programs, use hotkeys, create folders to have separate categories such as games, multimedia controls, etc. The software can be setup to auto update which is nice. Taking one star away as the cable should be separate. They could have designed this with a normal micro usb port. This way we could use our own custom length cables. The way it is now, the cable may be too long or short for what you need and if you damage the cable in any fashion, the unit is pretty much shot unless you pay to get it rewired. As with all my reviews, I will update this review should this develop any issues with ongoing use.

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Being legally blind, Im not able to do certain things in broadcast software, such as OBS, Stream Labs OBS, Xplit, or Elgata Game capture, the way a sighted person would. This is because I have to use Windows Magnifier to do most things on a computer. I tried multi-monitor setups, but both screens got magnified, and dual pc setups also dont work well for me. Enter the Stream Deck. Once I get everything set in the broadcast software, prior to streaming, and then setup in the Stream Decks configuration utility, Im able to do most everything I need to do, during a broadcast, right from the Stream Deck. Ive learned I can even do cool things I used to do in commercial radio, back in the 80s, when "boing" boards were just appearing, like fire off sound effects. You can even trigger different cameras, as well. What I didnt know, until starting to work with the Stream Deck, is you initially only have 15 keys, BUT, you also have the ability to set pages up for various aspects of your broadcast. So, in addition to the streaming key programming, you can setup pages for your sound effects, or media playback. VERY COOL! :) The keys can be lit nice, and bright, once youve assigned the brightness keys. Also, the keys are like tiny video screens, showing what each function is, depending on configurations. Go to a different page, and the keys change. My only problem with the keys is, the text displayed in them is too small for me to read without a magnifier. I do like how quiet the keys are when pressed. Thats HUGELY important in broadcasting. The USB cable is a wee bit short, though. But, you can get an extension for USB cables. Oh, I was not able to read the manual, because it so small, youd think it came out of a popcorn box. The text was even smaller. Fortunately, the Elgato site has a nice tutorial which helps get you start. I also like how you can make your own custom buttons on the Elgato site, as well as download tons of new buttons. Once you have the keypad configured, you can just close the configuration utility, and go on about your work. The keypad keeps all your settings, even when the computer is shut down. Not sure about power outages, though. Well soon find out, wont we. LOL I like the tilt cradle, but for my needs, I have to put the keypad as close to me as possible. That means in front of the keyboard, so the tilt cradle would block the keyboard. Therefore, I have to use the keypad laying flat. I would love to see Elgato come out with a keypad that had larger keys, and larger text. Other than that, it seems to be a great broadcast control device.

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