Elgato Stream Deck + Review - Content Creators, Don't Walk, Run to Get One Now

TweakTown Rating: 98%

Our Verdict

The Elgato Stream Deck + is a phenomenal programmable device that offers extensive customization, enabling users to tailor it to their specific needs. It will be a welcome addition to any content creators desk.

Pros

• Phenomenal customization
• Intuitive and easy-to-use software
• Solid build quality
• Efficient multitasking

Cons

• A paginated design may deter some

Should you buy it?

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Buy at Amazon for $159.99 USD

Buy at Amazon for $250.53 CAD

Buy at Amazon for £169

Buy at PC Case Gear for $289 AUD

Introduction & Specification Details and Close-up

Elgato is no stranger to the streaming and content creation space, with the Corsair-owned company being one of, if not the leading, provider of hardware dedicated to streamlining and simplifying content creation and livestreaming. However, it isn't just hardware that Elgato is dominating, but also software.

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Elgato really made a name for itself when it launched the original Stream Deck, and the plethora of content creation tools, such as its capture cards, lighting solutions, and even a teleprompter. The company has now made new versions of those already released products, with the Stream Deck + being the latest iteration of the hardware. The Stream Deck + features eight large buttons, along with a touchscreen bar and four rotary knobs.

The buttons and knobs are completely programmable, and Elgato is pitching this device as an audio mixer, studio controller, or production console. Even going as far as to say the Stream Deck + can be "anything you want it to be." But how can it achieve that? Well, the Stream Deck + becomes fully unlocked when it's paired with the Stream Deck software, which enables an intense level of customization of each of the buttons and knobs.

Let's jump into what the Stream Deck + offers, and how it can significantly impact your content creation workflow and production, all for a price of $199.

Specifications

Close-up

Best Deals: Elgato Stream Deck +

	Today	7 days ago	30 days ago
	$159.99 USD	$159.99 USD	$159.99 USD	Buy
	$250.53 CAD	$229.99 CAD	$279.99 CAD	Buy
	£169	£170	£139.99	Buy
	$159.99 USD	$159.99 USD	$159.99 USD	Buy
	$289 AUD	$249 AUD	$319 AUD	Buy
* Prices last scanned 1/13/2026 at 9:51 pm CST - prices may be inaccurate. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. We earn affiliate commission from any Newegg or PCCG sales.

Design

The Stream Deck + is chunkier and more substantial than earlier Steam Deck models, with its physical dimensions measuring approximately 140 x 138 x 110 mm, or 5.5 x 5.4 x 4.3 inches. The device weighs approximately 465 grams and is uniformly constructed, meaning it's one solid piece. The Stream Deck + is constructed out of hard plastic, and the build quality feels superb. There are now creaks or obvious points of failure. Each of the buttons feels really nice to press, and the knobs have a very clean tactile feel to them.

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The base of the Stream Deck + features a slip-proof plastic that makes the device almost stick to a desk or table top. You won't have to worry about accidentally knocking the Stream Deck + and it falling off your desk, as this slip-proof pad will prevent that. Compared to previous generations of Stream Deck, the Stream Deck + is a lot more spacious with more blank space between the buttons and features. Despite this more spacious approach, the Stream Deck + is superior in almost every way in terms of functionality.

Further Streaming Reading – Our Latest Content

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The Stream Deck features eight programmable LCD keys on the upper half of the device and four multifunction dials or knobs that can be rotated continuously 360 degrees. Splitting the buttons and knobs is an LCD touch panel that measures 109 x 14 mm ( 4.2 x 0.5 inches). The touch strip can be used to swipe between pages, trigger actions, or fine-tune settings. I will get more into what a user can achieve in the Use Case and Software section of the review.

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Moving to the back of the Stream Deck +, Elgato has placed a singular USB-C port. This port will power the device and is also where users can attach the separately sold XLR Dock or USB Hub. These additional accessories are tailored to a user's specific needs. For example, the XLR Dock features an XLR input for an XLR microphone, a headphone monitoring port, and a USB-C port. This dock is aimed at a user looking to turn the Stream Deck + into a dedicated audio mixing station capable of monitoring microphone levels, system volume, application volume, etc.

As for the USB Hub, a user interested in this accessory for the Stream Deck + is probably in need of extra USB ports for their setup. Perhaps they have many peripherals that they want to be able to easily access with the Stream Deck +, or simply want additional ports for charging devices.

Use Case & Software

The potential of the Stream Deck + is realized once you open the Stream Deck software, which can be downloaded from the Elgato website here. Users are presented with a homepage that showcases all of the corresponding buttons and knobs, and what they are currently programmed to do. The default setup is what is shown in the above screenshot, minus the CPU processing monitoring seen in the bottom right-hand corner.

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On the right-hand side of the window, you can see each of the categories of buttons that can be applied to each of the eight programmable keys. These are all default with the Stream Deck, and if they don't suffice, users can head to the Stream Deck marketplace on the Elgato website to download more. The marketplace features additional plugins that don't come with the stock version of the Stream Deck software, and many of these plugins are free. Additionally, users can purchase community-made themes for their icons directly from the marketplace.

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Moving back to the Stream Deck software, Elgato has made it incredibly simple to map a function directly to a key or dial. The user simply needs to drag and drop a function to a button. For example, if I wanted to map a Record button from the OBS Studio function list, I would just drag and drop it from the list on top of the button. Then it's done. I really love the simplicity of this setup, and you are probably thinking, "But what if I need more than eight functions to map?"

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Well, a user can add ten pages, so that means you really have access to 80 programmable buttons. New pages apply to the knobs as well, which means you have access to 40 programmable dials. However, that technically isn't completely true, as Elgato has gone the extra mile and made each of the dials splitable and stackable. Splitting a dial will turn it into three separate functions. For example, putting a Previous page function in the turn left slot, a Next Page function in the turn right slot, and a homepage function in the Press slot has now applied three functions to the one knob. So, I can control which page I'm on all from the one knob, making it easy to swipe between pages.

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It should be noted that splitting your dials can be used for much more than just swiping between pages quickly, as Elgato lets you assign hotkeys to both buttons and knobs. For example, streamers can set up a dedicated page for viewers' audio mix, separating what they hear locally from what their audience hears.

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This is beneficial for someone who doesn't want music playing over their headphones while gaming, but wants to ensure their audience can hear it. Having a dedicated dial for this would enable the streamer to quickly adjust the music volume for their audience without having to alt-tab out of a game to make the changes in the streaming software. This is just one of the plethora of options creators have at their fingertips with the Stream Deck +.

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Additionally, these programmable buttons and dials can be used for more general-purpose productivity or workflow controllers, not just for streaming and content creation tasks. For example, a user could set lighting to one of the dials to adjust brightness remotely, or even map a frequently used editing tool to one of the dials, such as the Cut tool within a video editing software. A user could use the dial to shave a few frames off a video they are editing, removing the need to zoom in on the timeline and attempt to make the cut with their mouse.

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It's quite easy to imagine the Stream Deck + quickly becoming a staple of any workflow once a user spends a bit of time customizing it to their specific needs.

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Performance

Throughout my experience with the Stream Deck +, I have been nothing short of amazed at the level of customization that a user has quite literally at their fingertips. I immediately set up a profile to basically take control of OBS and the multiple scenes and recordings I do. This was extremely easy with the OBS plugin.

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Furthermore, the Stream Deck software is intuitive, easy to use, and simply an impressive piece of software that exudes intelligent design and thoughtfulness. There isn't really much more to say other than now I have a Stream Deck + setup for OBS, and some other miscellaneous functions around my lab, such as smart lighting, media control, and basic Windows hotkeys. I can't imagine working without it.

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Final Thoughts

So, should you buy the Stream Deck +? Honestly, if you are a streamer, content creator, editor, or simply looking for a device that offers high levels of functionality, is totally customizable, and comes in a single, relatively cheap package, you have found it. The Stream Deck + is incredible.

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With an intense level of customization, direct integration with numerous popular programs, and a marketplace for additional plugins and themes, the Stream Deck + is not a hard recommendation to make at all. I believe anyone in the streaming or video production space would benefit from having one on their desk.

The only downside would perhaps be the price, but given the level of functionality you get from this single device, I believe it's a relatively small investment, especially given the time you will save by not having to perform all these functions manually.

Perhaps the only downside to the Stream Deck + is the time it takes to customize it to your specific needs. But then again, I think that's a small price to pay, considering what a user can get out of the Stream Deck once it's fully tailored to their workflow. Once again, Elgato has knocked it out of the park.