Elgato's Stream Deck devices are popular among both streamers and techies because of their unique keys. Stream Decks can be used for things like muting a microphone in a video call, controlling smart lights, or running automations on a computer. The Stream Deck Plus is the latest addition to the lineup and adds a small touch screen along with a bank of buttons. Even if it isn't fully realized, it allows for some new applications.
While the hardware of the Stream Deck Plus breaks new ground for Elgato, Loupedeck has been in on the act since day one. Loupedeck has similar products and a large library of free applications. There is a fair amount of overlap between what Loupedeck and Elgato offer, but Elgato focuses on streamers and content creators more than Loupedeck.
The Stream Deck Plus costs more than the standard Stream Deck. The Stream Deck mini is less expensive than the larger Stream deck. The Loupedeck Live S is the closest analog that can be found outside of the Elgato system.
The $200 price tag of the Stream Deck Plus is difficult to sell because there aren't enough functions that make use of it.
The Stream Deck Plus and prior models have the same four buttons, but the Stream Deck Plus has a different look to it. The Loupedeck has had dials for a while. The fact that Elgato added a few knobs to its hardware seems like a logical next step. The new hardware is pretty awesome. The dial feels good to use and it moves in steps. The dial can be pushed with a satisfying click, which gives them a third input. The whole thing looks like a mini mixing board because of the knobs.
The dial can be used to change values and properties on your computer. This can be the output volume of a particular device or application. The best use I found was to assign a dial. Because each step is a single input, I programmed a dial to skip back and forth through my playlists in addition to pausing and restarting play. It would have required three buttons with a stream deck.
Elgato has included what it calls "Dial Stacks" if you need more than four dial. You can layer multiple functions on a single dial by pushing the dial. The current function can be seen on the screen above the dial.
The Stream Deck Plus has a narrow touch screen just below the buttons and above the dial. The dial below is mapped to one of the four sections in the software.
The screen is very similar to the Corsair iCue Nexus, which is a screen that you can attach to your keyboard and use to display system information or access additional functions. It's likely that some of the same tech was used for the Stream Deck Plus as Corsair and Elgato became part of the larger company.
The screen is readable and responsive. The 1200 x 800 resolution is sharp and easy to read, even though it's relatively small. It allows you to scroll between multiple pages of your Elgato profile, a function that usually requires a dedicated button.
While the screen responds to tap controls, these are tied exclusively to the corresponding dial function you have assigned, which renders the touchscreen incompatible with the regular Stream Deck buttons. You can assign hot keys to the dial, but it feels like a waste of time.
There are eight keys with screens in them that can be changed into different looks depending on what function they are used for. The Stream Deck Mini has eight more keys than the Stream Deck MK, but seven less. There are two Four more buttons on the Plus' dial make it possible for you to personalize the number of hardware things you can have.
The buttons on the Stream Deck Plus are still enjoyable to push. Each one of them has a switch with a touch that provides enough acknowledgement to your poking and prodding.
A variety of image formats are supported by the small screens built into them. When a mic is hot or a camera is on, these can be programmed to change their appearance.
The buttons on the Stream Deck Plus are a little bigger than on the older models. It isn't a big change, but it does help keep the tiny icons legible.
The Stream Deck has a different look. The Plus is larger. The Plus is sitting at a fixed angle. The display has a pair ofPhillips-head screws on it. The exposed hardware is easy to remove if you want to lay the display flat. The Plus connects to your computer via a single cable from the back of the unit.
The hardware is fun to look at and feels great, so it is unfortunate that the utility for the dial and touchscreen is limited. Two of the plug-ins are tied to Elgato applications that are intended to be used with Elgato hardware. If you don't own any Elgato hardware, the following list of applications is the only ones you can use.
The Stream Deck allows you to set up dial stacks and adjust the brightness of the display system.
Elgato camera and Elgato Key lights are required.
The Elgato Camera Hub has a number of camera properties.
Normally with the Stream Deck, I run out of buttons before I run out of plug-ins, but currently, I'm struggling to find a way to use the four dials on the Stream Deck Plus. Setting timers or adjusting the brightness of the non- Elgato smart lighting in my home would help expand the appeal of the Stream Deck.
Elgato's software has not received any drastic changes to accommodate the Plus. If the Stream Deck software or marketplace gave you fits, you won't find anything that's powerful enough to change your mind. If you are new to the Stream Deck, the interface is easy to understand, but there is a small learning curve.
Adding functions to the various inputs on the Stream Deck can be accomplished via drag and drop. The initial list of applications baked into the Elgato software is not great. It isn't easy to find new plug-ins if you don't know what you're looking for, because all of the cool stuff you can do with a Stream Deck is tucked away in the Elgato marketplace. Right now, if you search for a plug-in, you will get at least five similar results. Without going through the process of installing them, it is difficult to know.
It isn't attractive for anyone who doesn't have time to troll the Elgato or experiment with different plug-ins to use Stream Deck because it's still a "you get out of it what you put into it" situation Elgato has a lot of free stuff for you to use to personalize your Stream Deck. Many of the same things you can find on the Elgato marketplace can be found on Loupedeck devices. Since all of Loupedeck's products have a dial on them, there are more plug-ins that can be used with the hardware.
I don't want to make a big deal out of it. It is responsible for giving the Stream Deck the flexibility that so many owners benefit from. There are plug-ins that can be used to view stock prices, control Midi devices, or adjust the lighting in your home. Thanks to the efforts of third-party developers like Krabs, which is responsible for starting Stream Deck Labs, there is a way for other developers to coordinate their efforts as they relate to the Stream Deck.
It's even more surprising that developers don't have a way to monetize their contributions. Plug-in contributions are made to the Elgato community. Third-party developers build many of the plug-ins I use for my Stream Deck. The efforts of the community will determine if Elgato can realize the potential of the Stream Deck Plus.
When less expensive Stream Decks make better use of their hardware, it's hard to recommend the Stream Deck Plus. The Elgato applications that are intended to be used with Elgato hardware do not have a lot of plug-ins available right now.
The Stream Deck Plus will be able to do something in a year.
After developers have time to exploit the hardware, I am excited to see what the Stream Deck Plus can do. If you don't own any Elgato hardware and want to get your knob fix now, the Loupedeck Live S is a good choice.
The Elgato Stream Deck Mini is a way to make your work-from- home experience better. It only has six buttons, but it has access to all the same plug-ins.
It is a good bet that future versions of the Stream Deck will have dial and screens on them, but hopefully there will be better support for those features when those devices arrive.
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