New Elgato Stream Deck+ jacks up control with LCD touch strip and 4 dials

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Elgato just further opened up your workflow-tweaking opportunities.
Elgato just further opened up your workflow-tweaking opportunities.
Photo: Elgato

Corsair Gaming subsidiary Elgato unveiled the latest version of its popular Stream Deck streaming and workflow controller Wednesday, dubbing it Stream Deck+.

It retains eight of the familiar customizable LCD keys that other versions have. But it adds a touch strip, which is a screen, and four “infinite dials” to help you tweak and adjust tasks in your workflow. A common use of this type of tool is controlling video streaming production.

Elgato Stream Deck+

Like other Elago Stream Deck versions, the new Elgato Stream Deck+ is about using a variety of app plugins and mapped shortcuts to enhance a workflow. Content creators like podcasters, video streamers and graphic designers find plenty of uses for it.

You can connect it to a Mac or PC using a USB-C to USB-A cable to make it a control center for your computer setup and its peripherals — especially AV-oriented ones. But customization can give it a wide variety of applications.

“Stream Deck has evolved into an indispensable platform for all types of digital professionals. Every month, Stream Deck users execute hundreds of millions of actions with their devices to make their workflows more powerful and intuitive, often in unexpected and ingenious ways,” said Julian Fest, SVP and GM of Elgato, in a press release.

“With Stream Deck + and the introduction of new physical inputs, we’re giving our customers even more ways to personalize how they control their setups, further positioning Stream Deck as a powerful extension beyond keyboards and mice. We can’t wait to see our community put Stream Deck + to work,” he added.

LCD key, push dial and touch strip

Stream Deck+  includes eight LCD keys, four push dials — “infinite” means you can keep turning them in either direction — and a touch strip. The dials and touch strip add a lot of nuance for controlling software-integrated technology like lighting, audio and video.

The Stream Deck+ works with more than 100 app plugins and integrates with Elgato software like Camera Hug, Control Center and Wave Link virtual mixer. The latter lets users control multiple audio sources and effects like EQ, reverb and compression, Elgato said.

You can personalize the device’s LCD keys and touch strip using Elgato’s “library of icon packs and backgrounds,” the company said, adding the keys can trigger thousands of royalty-free tracks and sound effects.

Watch Elgato’s informative video:

Software integration

Stream Deck + works with Stream Deck software meant to make configuration and daily use easy.

You can drag and drop plugin actions onto the LCD keys and dials, essentially assigning a range of related actions to each one.

“You can even create limitless pages of interface layouts with different actions for application- or task-related workflows. One tap of an LCD key can trigger single or multiple actions: start stream, play intro sequence, unmute mic, turn on lights, switch cameras, launch apps, open webpages, and so on,” Elgato said.

You can use the dials to adjust many settings, like volume levels, image details, camera zoom, brightness, white balance and more. When you “stack” several actions on a dial, you can cycle through them by pushing it.

The touch strip displays real-time dial information, but you can also tap it to trigger actions or swipe it to change the interface layout. And you can also set the device to automatically change interface layouts as you switch between apps.

And Stream Deck SDK allows developers to create new possibilities for Stream Deck+ and its siblings.

While many Elgato products are available on Amazon, including versions of the Stream Deck, this one isn’t there yet. In the meantime, you can order it directly from Elgato.

Price: $199.99

Where to buy: Elgato

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