Stream Deck XL – Advanced Studio Controller, 32 Macro Keys, Trigger Actions in apps and Software Like OBS, Twitch, ​YouTube and More, USB, Works with Mac and PC

Perfect for streaming. Easy to set up, highly customizable, and boosts workflow instantly. Excellent quality and performance.

If you haven't already decided to purchase a Stream Deck you're probably balking at the price and/or saying "I can do that with a programmable keyboard and some stickers!" And you'd be right... if you weren't also completely wrong. Each key is a mini screen that can display just about whatever you want and even change conditionally based on what you have active or pressed last. You can rearrange and re-label those keys and their graphics at will by just dragging them around in the software. Try that with stickers and a key pad! If you want macros the software again makes it much easier than most other devices or scripts do, and you don't have to assign and remember a keyboard combo to activate it or worry about key conflicts - it's all contained to that one Stream Deck key. While it can do nearly anything you can dream up, the Stream Deck's focus is, of course, streaming. Where it's just plain nifty in general usage it becomes absolutely indispensable if you're a streamer. It supports all major streaming software either right out of the box (OBS, Xsplit, etc) or with easily downloaded add-ons (GeForce Experience controls). Just drag and drop the actions to a button and configure what source, scene, etc it points to. Naturally it integrates with other Elgato products seamlessly. I have one page of my XL dedicated to volume control of my Wave Link sources as well as toggles to change speaker/headphone outputs. If you have Elgato's keylights it can control those, too. You can even control your Stream Deck with another Stream Deck! (Insert meme here...) The software is continuously being developed and updated - with the most recent update adding a plethora of sound effects and royalty free music to download and use at will. The open SDK allows third parties to make add-ons, too. I have added controls for Nvidia and TeamSpeak 3 to mine and they work seamlessly, once again eliminating the need to assign and remember keyboard macros. For gaming, there's still plenty of uses. While you wouldn't use it for critical functions like motion or firing, you can still get plenty of uses out of it for things like menu shortcuts, dropping position markers, chat macros, etc. I use my mini to access my most used commands while racing so I don't have to hunt and peck at my keyboard at 200 mph, for example. The main con is the price. The standard and the XL will make you pause at first, but I've found them to be worth every penny and I'm continuously evolving the way I use them. The mini... is overpriced. Not gonna lie. I got mine on sale at about half price, and I only really recommend it at around that price. The standard and XL pretty much never go on sale, so don't hold your breath on those two of that's what you're after. The other cons, minor ones at that, are the lack of removable USB cable for the standard and mini, and the flimsy stand that I constantly flatten accidentally when I move the standard 15 key Stream Deck around. So to make a long story longer - if you are a streamer, content creator, or use a lot of macros in your workflow then you will not regret getting a Stream Deck. If you're looking at it for game purposes, make sure it's not for fast-paced stuff like movement in an FPS. For flight and racing sims it's pretty much the perfect "button box" replacement.

I have not been paid for this review, nobody solicited me to write it, I have no relationship with the manufacturer, and I purchased this at full price after reading about it online. This is one of those products you have never heard of, but when you use it, you immediately wished you'd found it a long time ago. As someone who has multiple monitors in front of my eyeballs all day long, I have dozens of windows/apps open across multiple screens and virtual desktops. I have many productivity and utility apps to help me manage all this information that's always screaming for my attention. The Stream Deck gives me a whole new way to interact with my data. In addition to the myriad of keyboard shortcuts, app launchers, menu bar customizers, trackpad gestures and more that I use all day, this thing lets me access some of my most important workflows (and create new ones) by simply pressing a single key. This isn't just a glorified app launcher (although it's a really good at that too). You can chain together a limitless set of actions across your entire system. The dynamic keys mean I can also re-arrange them, create folders for less used actions, and much more. There are also a few 'plugins' that run right on the keys themselves. A have a digital clock and my current WAN IP address always ticking away right in front of me, at a glance. I've only had this for a day, and already I'm starting to experiment with how best it can work for me. Right now I'm finding the volume controls most immediately useful. I can swap between headset, system audio, mute audio, mute microphone, and more all with a simple press of a button. This is way faster than even some of the best third-party audio management apps I use. Example: on video calls… mute! While I can certainly use the app's mute/unmute feature, I always find that I am switching between apps and windows during calls, and the audio controls are not always immediately available. The built-in keyboard audio-controls for Mac/Windows systems are not always reliable. But now I know exactly how to mute/unmute myself regardless of which virtual desktop, full-screen app, screenshare, etc. that I am using. I can quickly put my headset on and press a button to make it active right away. No more having to hope that the OS does the right thing with my audio, while I have a room full of people watching me explain something for 20 seconds before someone is able to remind me “you’re on mute” … NICE! There are some more cool features, like profiles that are activated when a certain app is being used. That means I can dig down into specific applications and create super-efficient workflows on a per-app basis. I'm hardly an expert with this after just a day, but I see a ton of potential here. It's a bit expensive, but it's also a niche product that will easily justify its cost for certain people... me included.

I myself am a cinematographer and editor (Blah blah blah cameras and movies and stuff) and I purchased this Stream Deck (XL) to improve my productivity while I do my editing. This beats any Macro keyboard or custom keybind kind of thing you could get out there. You can label the LCD buttons with text in the program, as well as put a background image (You can upload your own, or there is an open plugin hub where you can get other people's custom stuff) to each key. The keyboard usually links to most of my software and I can use the macro buttons, but if it doesn't, I can set it to press a custom keybind (it also has Function keys as an option all the way from F1 - F24) to do specific tasks like saving a file. PLUGINS Plugins are usually tailored to specific programs. I have a plugin for DaVinci Resolve Studio, VoiceMod, StreamLabs OBS, and a couple of the other things I like to tinker with. The keyboard can have more than one saved layout. I have twenty something versions of the board (Some for sound effects for discord, some for editing and working). There are different plugins for different things. Some plugins are just so you can have more pictures to use on your keys, some plugins are made to work with commonly used software like VoiceMod. So far, There is NOT a plugin made yet to work with Discord, but like I said before, you can always set custom keybinds to toggle mute, push to talk, deafen, and even share screen. FUNCTION The Stream Deck functions in a similar fashion to your PC. If your PC is off, so is your Deck. If your PC is on sleep, so is your Deck. It applies for pretty much anything. LCD keys are bright and combat my extremely heavy studio lighting. I have no trouble seeing each button clearly. HARDWARE This is sturdy in build (It looks cheap in the picture but it is quite heavy and rugged) and works nicely on the desk. The USB to USB-C cord is a thick braided cable, and will last a very long time if handled appropriately. The back end of the stand is detachable so you can lay the Stream Deck flat. There is traction pads both on the back of the tablet and on the bottom of the stand to stick on your desk nicely. You WILL have to rout the wire through the stand which is a hassle for me personally because of my horrendous lack of cable management, but ultimately It's worth the money. SOFTWARE The software is easy to install but can be hard to navigate to new users. YouTube is a reliable resource for tutorials if you've never used a Stream Deck, and If I'm right, I think El Gato has their own set of tutorials, but I may be wrong so take that with a grain of salt. It is easy to learn, and fun to mess with. CONCLUSION Great product. Design is outstanding, and it's mostly user friendly. I would recommend using this only for a PC or a Mac, as I don't think this would be beneficial on other devices. My user experience has been great, and I would recommend this to any editor, gamer, or PC enthusiast as an investment in your capabilities while you work / play.

This turned out to be MUCH more useful than I expected. Initially it seemed a bit pricey, but the software is extremely slick and makes the keypad worth the extra $$$! I was able to start making my own button shortcuts (and icons) in just a few minutes. It's also very easy to modify or add functions, mostly just drag and drop. Also I like the fact that you can set up the Stream Deck without signing up for yet another account requiring an email address. There is a "marketplace" but it's optional and not required to use and customize the product.

Really good, it exceeded all my expectations

I can't even begin to tell you just how much I use this in my day-to-day. Well, actually I can, this is a review, it's kind of the point. But most people see "STREAM" deck and think "oh, this is for streaming". No, my mistaken friend, this is a multitool that is only limited to your imagination. Got a wireless keyboard? That's cool. What happens when it runs out of battery and you need to charge it? Make a folder on the Stream Deck specifically for shortcuts like Ctrl +, Ctrl X, Shift, Alt Tab, and more, and you've got all your non-typing needs met through it. Need some control in your life? This has plugins available through the program's built-in library for things like light control. As an example, I use Govee lights. From my Stream Deck, I can control which lights are on, what their brightness is, what their color is, and more! I also do game development on the side. Having to type out "\n<\n[3]>" to insert the name of the third character into text can get a little annoying every time you need to say their name. So I've got a system text button that types out fourteen different character names with a press of a button (the button in question has their face on them, too, did I mention image button customization?), as well as thirteen color codes to change the text's color mid-sentence. Of course, you can also use this to LAUNCH programs as well. If you're like me and you have hundreds of programs and you don't have your desktop icons turned on, going into your folders or scrolling through your program bar can be a hassle. Add buttons for it! You can even set up folders to hold game series (KH or FF anyone?), a folder for emulators, you can even put in Steam games. Forget the games for a bit, literally every single "exe" file can be executed with a single press of a button. And of course, lastly, YES I use mine for streaming too. Switching between scenes, opening up a dynamic text file to change the weekly shout-out, turning on/off my microphone, instant clips, alerts, chat commands...heck, I even have three clocks on here to show me the times of other viewers' time zones so I can stream a game THEY like when they're actually awake. And the multi-action tool allows me to create a button that does five or six different things in a row, which is perfect for if you need to put your streams into a lockdown for something serious. All in all, I haven't found a single thing this Stream deck CAN'T do. And if there IS something, the additional add-on plugins easily fix that. 10/10 would recommend for any streamer, but also any computer user to make life so much simpler and easier.

If you have specific needs you think this can fill, the Stream Deck is a great tool. It may require a bit of non-trivial setup, especially if you are doing things that don't have a pre-made plugin. My work-at-home setup is a shared monitor between my personal desktop and work laptop. I wanted to listen to music from my personal collection while working, but had to awkwardly switch monitor inputs to control the sound. The Stream Deck allows me to control music playback on my personal PC without switching monitors, and it was mostly easy to set up. For this reason alone, it was worth getting. Once I had that, I had quite a few more buttons to fill, some other ideas I had (and how easy they were to set up): - I set a few timers. (Very easy, but the default timer doesn't require acknowledgement, which makes it easier to ignore...) - Added a few desktop applications. (Surprisingly complicated for some Windows programs. It required some searches on Reddit and a few extra steps to get right.) - Added a plugin for Home Assistant and I could control my office smart bulbs and video light. (Not that hard with instructions, getting Home Assistant to work was harder.) - With the help of another program, I could create a button to switch displays on my monitor between the two computers. (Somewhat difficult, required a bit of learning and some experimentation.) After a weekend or so of work, I had a pretty optimized work-from-home experience and a few extra conveniences while using my personal computer as well. I have been using this daily for months and it's proved its value to me.

This thing isn't cheap - at all - but is super versatile and useful if you're willing to shell out. I am not a streamer. I bought it for gaming, and to generally set up shortcuts for everything I regularly use on my PC. If you're willing to put in the time and have some patience, this thing will reward. I have 4 profiles set up, multiple folders, and everything is available at a touch of a button. Works flawlessly, and very pretty to compliment - especially once you get some wallpapers up and running. In the games I use it with (Flight Simulator, Elite Dangerous), this has become a key piece of kit, eliminating the need to use the keyboard or remember elaborate joystick buttons. Highly recommend.

The ease of programming the keys and adding icons is great. The second great feature is the folders - so you can essentially have hundreds of buttons programmed. That said I use for iRacing so 1 deck is enough!

Geweldig apparaat. Kan precies doen wat je wil, meerdere commando's en status computer weergeven!

I should state from the outset that I'm not a "streamer", so won't be using this product to its fullest. That said, as a PC user & gamer, the amount of options this device opens up is amazing. Every type of volume / video / music option, folder options, opening games, not needing to tab out of things, macros, hot keys, temperature, weather, notifications et al.... are catered for. You can customise every single part of the look of the deck - gifs, screensavers, icons, text, colour etc - or just download icon packs. Extremely easy to change and edit. Having separate volume controls for discord users was a Godsend! Extremely well made. Heavy item. The magnetic dock holds the main deck if you choose not to lie it flat. The USB braided cable is a decent length. You will spend days just testing out the customisation and layouts. Plug and play with a simple Elgato download alongside it. Had a quick play with controlling a smart plug and light - works on my deck with a press of a button. The streamer options are even more thorough. If you use OBS and have multiple audio/video sources, this tool will give you complete control over all of it. On a side note, I opted for the XL instead of the Plus as the dials looked cool, but all of it can be done on the XL with presses and the screen saver looks great over all the buttons. Try the phone app version of the stream deck if you are hesitating buying this. Once you get the overall idea, you'll be glad you bought this. My first Elgato product - more than happy with it.

As a motion designer and video editor, I always look for tools to streamline my workflow and boost productivity. The Elgato Stream Deck XL has been an absolute revelation, and I can’t imagine working without it now. Here’s why it’s become an essential part of my creative toolkit: 32 Customizable LCD Keys – A Shortcut Dream: The 32 programmable keys are a game-changer for anyone working in Adobe After Effects, Premiere Pro, or any other creative software. I’ve set up keys for frequently used shortcuts like toggling layers, adding keyframes, or applying effects. It’s like having a physical extension of my keyboard, but way more intuitive and visually organized. Multi-Actions for Complex Workflows: The multi-action feature is a lifesaver. I’ve created custom macros that automate repetitive tasks, like rendering a sequence, exporting to a specific format, and then opening the file location—all with a single button press. It’s saved me so much time and mental energy. Seamless Integration with Creative Software: The Stream Deck integrates beautifully with Adobe apps, DaVinci Resolve, and even third-party plugins. I’ve set up keys to switch between tools, adjust brush sizes, or trigger specific effects. It’s like having a custom control panel tailored to my exact needs. Visual Feedback for Quick Navigation: The LCD keys display custom icons or labels, making it easy to identify functions at a glance. I’ve organized my keys into folders for different tasks—editing, animation, rendering, etc.—so I can switch contexts quickly without missing a beat. Time-Saving Plugins and Integrations: The Stream Deck’s plugin ecosystem is incredible. I use it to control OBS for recording tutorials, manage Spotify playlists while I work, and even check my calendar or Slack notifications without leaving my creative flow. It’s like having a command center for both my creative and administrative tasks. Build Quality and Design: The Stream Deck XL feels premium and sturdy. The keys have a satisfying tactile response, and the device sits perfectly on my desk without taking up too much space. It’s both functional and aesthetically pleasing. Perfect for Collaboration: When working with clients or team members, I’ve set up keys to quickly pull up project files, reference materials, or even launch video calls. It’s made collaboration smoother and more professional. Minor Cons: The initial setup can be a bit overwhelming if you’re new to macro programming, but Elgato’s software is user-friendly, and there are plenty of tutorials online. It’s an investment, but the time it saves and the efficiency it adds make it worth every penny. Final Thoughts: The Elgato Stream Deck XL is a must-have for motion designers and video editors. It’s not just a tool—it’s a productivity powerhouse that transforms your work. Whether you’re editing, animating, or managing projects, the Stream Deck XL will save you time, reduce frustration, and let you focus on what really matters: creating amazing content. 5/5 Stars – A Creative Professional’s Best Friend!