Stream Deck Plus review 2024: a brilliant device

If you’re active in online communities, it’s probable that you’ve come across mentions of Elgato, the company that makes the Stream Deck +. Elgato is one of the most well-known names in the industry when it comes to accessories for content creation and streaming, so it’s likely that you’ve heard of them before. These handy pieces of hardware serve as an external set of fast keys to which you can assign specialized commands in accordance with the program that you are working with.

Stream Decks are frequently used for streaming since they provide a convenient method of controlling many devices and interfaces at the same time while you’re live. However, Stream Decks may also be assigned to commands for a wide variety of apps, including Photoshop, Premiere Pro, DaVinci resolve, and many others. The fact that they may be used for a variety of purposes and are highly modifiable makes them an excellent tool for any creative person.

Stream Deck Plus Specifications

Design and Build

The Elgato Stream Deck + is a good size. It is 13.8 x 14 x 11 cm, which makes it easy to see on a desk. It is well made and feels valuable when you touch it. It has 8 square keys and 4 metal dials, giving it a total of 12 functions that can be changed. Like older Stream Decks, each of the square keys has a small LCD screen that you can change with the Stream Deck program. The membrane underneath these keys makes them feel great to press and give a nice click. The LCD screens are bright and easy to read from a long way away.

The metal construction of the four rotating dials also makes them nice to touch. The sides have great textures that make them easy to hold, and when you turn the dials, you hear a pleasant click like when you press a button. This lets you know exactly what you’re doing. The new LCD screen strip is pretty and easy to read. In the next part, we’ll talk more about this new addition. You can buy this Stream Deck Plus from its official website

Stream Deck Plus: Buttons

Each of the Deck +’s eight buttons still has an LCD screen that can be customized by Elgato. The screens have also grown about 15% and are now much clearer. Even though this doesn’t sound like much on paper, we were surprised by how small the basic Stream Deck keys suddenly felt in comparison, especially when I set up both devices side by side. They have the same rubbery feel, bright screens, and pleasing muted click as the Stream Decks that came before them.

Stream Deck Plus: Dial It Up

The Stream Deck games have always focused on seeing how many controls they could cram into the screen. The Stream Deck +, in contrast, has only eight buttons, and these are slightly larger and arranged on a faceplate that is perhaps as large as the Stream Deck XL.

The buttons are conveniently placed, and their displays are as legible as those on the Stream Deck. The included software allows you to assign an unlimited number of functions to each button. The new touch panel and the four dials that replace the traditional eight buttons are the most noticeable changes, though.

Software experience

To get the most out of my Stream Deck +, we installed all of Elgato’s official software, including the Stream Deck app (needed for basic functionality), Wave Link, and Camera Hub. I was interested in using the Stream Deck + because of its seamless integration with Elgato’s software ecosystem.

Elgato’s software is impressive, however we are concerned about bloatware because I had to download three different packages. We was concerned about system resource utilization before installing any of these apps, but even with having three of them active in the background, my computer isn’t getting any hotter than usual.

Stream Deck Plus: Performance

On the Stream Deck +, the touch bar and buttons are where things get interesting. They are the first time Elgato has given us a new way to connect with a Stream Deck (if we don’t count the Stream Deck Pedal, which requires some fancy footwork), and it’s a great start. Elgato says that the force needed to turn one of the stepped dials has been “finely tuned for optimal input speed,” and it’s hard to argue with them. With the machined surface that kept my fingers in place and the steps that were just the right distance apart, we were always able to make single-step changes without going too far.

Final words

In conclusion, we think the Stream Deck Plus is a fantastic tool that will benefit most streamers and creatives. But if you already have an earlier model, do we think it’s worthwhile to upgrade. We haven’t bought one yet because of the expensive price, but we’re excited to see how Elgato improves the Stream Deck software in the future to compensate for the novel controls and display. The Stream Deck Plus was a great tool for us, and we want to maintain using it in my streams to streamline the creation of material and facilitate the use of my custom rapid commands.

Stream Deck Plus review: The good and The bad

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