The Stream Deck is a guide for all streamers who are just starting out or who have already made it. One could sum it up with a keyboard with macros, but it’s capable of so much more, even if you’re not a streamer!
Elgato was acquired by CORSAIR in 2018, but the company remains independent and continues to thrive by providing targeted hardware for streamers (or better, “live gamer hosts”). Be it lights, microphones, capture cards, but above all it is the Stream Deck that has made the brand so famous. Depending on the size, we go from 6 then 15 to 32 programmable keys. The advantage over simple keyboard shortcuts or macro keys is that each of the keys comes with an LCD screen, making it easier to find your way around. That’s why we use it streaming, because we don’t have to search long to trigger the desired effect or use a dangerous key combination.
In the software we have Stream Deck keys that can be assigned and on the right we will find the various possibilities offered with the integrations already present (eg OBS, Streamlabs, Discord). There is also a Stream Deck store to find compatible apps. Here’s how I was able to add Spotify or control my Hue and Nanoleaf lights. We can also add pages to have more interactions (eg work page, flow page).
Each key has its own image (which can be changed), moving from one to another is really easy and pleasant. Finally, you can create shortcuts for programs or macros. For example, while Discord has deep integration, Teams doesn’t… no problem. I add macros to mute the microphone and finally get the same result. The tool is very liberal and that makes it more than just a tool for streamers. I create macros, website tags, social media tags, it’s practical because these macros are associated with a key with an image, which makes them very easy to identify.
As a streamer, Stream Deck makes it easy to change scene, source, sound trigger visuals. These are the things that spice up the stream, be careful not to overdo it… It’s an indispensable gadget for streamers, but it can also turn into a great tool to streamline your daily tasks. In addition, there is a mobile version (as well as tutorials) if you never want to invest. Indeed, we find the Stream Deck from 79.99 euros for the mini version with 6 keys, while the XL version flirts with 249.99 euros.