Since the first iteration of Elgato Stream Deck launched a few years ago, Elgato Stream Deck has been a must-have for peeps who stream on Twitch and YouTube and want access to their most-used features as easy as pie. It has become an accessory. There’s a whole family of these products released since the first version, and the latest in that long continuum is the one I was able to get my hands on today: the Elgato Stream Deck +, or the Plus symbol if you don’t have one. I do not like.
The key here is the addition of a series of four knobs to the bottom of the deck (don’t joke, you’re better than that). USB power button box.
Elgato markets these four dials as helping to integrate this particular Stream Deck into the wider range of streaming gear offered by the Corsair-owned brand, such as the Wave line of microphones and a set of key lights. I’m here. It is especially useful because you can adjust the microphone gain and the color temperature of the key light with the dial.
You can also use these dials to control the system volume if you prefer. Each dial also has push-down buttons such as mute, doubling the functionality. Speaking of other features, the Stream Deck software (more on that later) also has this dial stack feature, allowing you to assign multiple functions to a single dial.
Stream Deck + Specs
Number of Buttons/Dials: 8 buttons, 4 dials
Connectivity: USB Type-C
cable: USB Type-C, detachable
Size: 140×138×110mm
weight: 465g/1lb
price: $200 / £20
Even if there aren’t too many to choose from compared to the vast range of button-based customizations and features, there should be enough to keep people busy.
The Stream Deck+ is another classic iteration of Elgato’s great offering, except with the addition of four metal and tactile dials. There are a total of eight buttons you can control, each with its own display, so thanks to the myriad of selectable icons within Elgato’s software, you can quickly see one and see what you’ve set. The primary use for these buttons is for programs like Twitch, YouTube, or OBS, but there are plenty of plugins available for other apps to make Stream Deck + a great device for productivity. I have.
For example, you can control PowerPoint and Keynote presentations, or select specific features in Photoshop. Or, if you’re feeling particularly clever, there are games where you just use buttons to play or press buttons to set counters. At this point I think he’s close to 200.
In short, Stream Deck + is a very fun to use product with seemingly endless capabilities. Other versions may have more buttons, but the extra dials just add another form of control.These various tools, plugins, and gizmos you can use with Stream Deck+ are All within Elgato’s extremely easy-to-use Stream Deck software. Once you connect your device, simply download the software and it will recognize that your device is connected.
Stream Deck plugins are easily available by simply downloading them from the free store within the app. Once the download is complete, it will be displayed on the right side of the main interface of the app. Putting them into the Stream Deck + is a classic drag-and-drop exercise. Once that’s done, the actual button will show an icon of what you’ve set. Mine has Spotify media playback controls, CPU power widgets, weather, analog clock, and stocks widgets.
Another classic iteration of Elgato’s great offering.
In a more general sense, the Stream Deck+ is a great looking device, with an intimidating presence on your desk and a sturdy textured plastic frame that at least justifies the $200/£200 price tag. I’m here. The angle it sits at is a comfortable angle, and it’s not a real burden if you want a quick reminder of what each button and dial you’ve set does. It’s bright enough for both day and night work, and the touch bar above the dial (yes, really) is pretty responsive, as is the dial itself. It may be easy to think that you need a USB Type-C cable, but it’s all easily handled with a single USB Type-C cable.
Someday Elgato, or parent company Corsair, may make a wireless version of the Stream Deck in a few years, but for now, a single USB Type-C cable will suffice.
Stream Deck+ is a useful tool not only for streamers, but also for anyone who wants their workflow to be as simple and easy as possible. Slapping something too big to add a few dials may not appeal to some…another form. However, for those of us who have never had the pleasure of using it before, its appeal is very easy to see.
