In this article we are going to see the review of Elgato Stream Deck+. Some news, some improvements and certainly an increasingly ready listening from the community
Elgato has the great virtue of to listen the community and in this new version of theElgato Stream Deck we have proof. A few small improvements are enough to make users’ lives easier. But let’s start step by step explaining what Elgato Stream Deck e what can it be used for. Once given a general smattering we will also see the latest news of this small but powerful keyboard.
Materials and packaging | Elgato Stream Deck+ review
Starting from the packaging we find ours in plain sight Elgato Stream Deck+ and immediately you notice the differences from the previous version. Obviously we will talk about the differences in sight and the hidden ones later.
In addition to the name, logo and photo on the package we also find a series ofuseful information such as the contents of the package and the most relevant features.
Once the package is opened, we will find nothing but our console, an instruction booklet, a safety manual, and a cable USB (A-C) for the connection.
The materials chosen are plastic but of good quality even if we would have liked to see the metal wheels. Although the textures recall the ferrous material they are made of the same material that we see in the adjustment wheel of the keyboards Corsair top of the range like the Corsair K100 Air Wireless of which we have of course written a review.
As far as the design is concerned, we find a difference that everyone may not like, namely the impossibility of keeping it Stream Deck+ satin at the desk. The stand to keep the new console raised is in fact screwed and “forces” us to use it in a manner raised the keypad. Another flaw, which apparently has not been resolved, is that of cable from connection.
If you will raise your Stream Deck+ just wiping a dust patch over your desk will instantly disconnect it. In daily use you won’t encounter any problems, the base is solid and doesn’t allow movements of the multimedia keyboard but a cable lock or other similar solution would have greatly helped to eliminate the annoyance.
What can I do with this console? | Elgato Stream Deck+ review
In this paragraph we could get lost in an infinity of lines in trying to explain all the shortcuts and the uses that can be made of it Stream Deck+. Not wanting to bore you too much and not wanting to tear my poor fingertips to shreds, we’ll limit ourselves to seeing the main possibilities, leaving the discovery and imagination up to you.
Starting from the top of the console, let’s find out what we can do with the keys.
The possibilities are endless, we can assign them a specific key on the keyboard, create a folder but most usefully create a real action to do something. Explanation a little too vague to understand something, so let’s go down to the specifics.
You can assign a specific opening to the key page webgive the input to start an application or again, thanks to Plugins, to perform a specific act within an application. You could use a key to make a cut in software of editing video like DaVinci Resolve, or change scene in OBS for example or, almost, practically everything you can think of in this area. Of course, you could also just choose to use the Plugin from Spotify to change song, put play/pause and so on.
Opening a specific web page, like launching an application, might seem like trivial things, and to some extent they are. The convenience lies in the fact that with a single key you will avoid three steps: opening Chrome (or your search engine), typing the link to the desired page and starting navigation of the same. All by pressing a single button. If like me then every time you turn on your PC the first thing you need to do is open at least three web pages (mail, WhatsApp and TechGameWorld.com home page) and thanks to the support of Stream Deck+ everything is done even faster.
For creators, as mentioned, using this console becomes much more interesting!
The ability to download and use specific sounds (which are literally an infinity), the ability to change scenes, adjust microphone, cameras and lights are a real godsend.
Configuring a sound of applause, laughter, cartoons, broken glass, explosions and so on and so forth is extremely simple and can certainly raise the level of a live broadcast. Even for content creators in the editing phase, as anticipated, the Stream Deck+ is an ally that should not be underestimated. Being able to direct a combo of to the keypad keys of the keyboard or real commands is a real godsend.
Whether you need to cut, paste, shorten or join, to name just a few possible steps, thanks to the invaluable help of this console you can do it in the blink of an eye.
Another little gem that we enjoyed using is the Plugin from iCue which allows us to go and change the color game to our PC. In addition, being able to customize the icons through the infinite series of messages layout, the creator of them or using image files directly allows us unlimited customization. Personalization that continues by placing a double image based on the action that took place. To understand if you decide to use the Plugin Philips to turn a lamp on or off, you can put the icon of a lighted lamp that changes and turns off when the key is pressed.
What’s new? | Elgato Stream Deck+ review
As you may have noticed from the review of this new one Stream Deck+ we have not yet talked about two sets of elements that make up the same.
Under the keys we find a small LCD monitor that will show us what we have assigned to the four wheels just below. It didn’t end there though! In fact this little one LCD strip it will allow us to make a passage between the pages much more comfortably. In a nutshell, in the past, to have an extra set of keys, it was necessary to create multiple profiles and dedicate a key to it switch between them. In our version we find eight keys and losing one to change the page is a real shame. Also because in the new page it is necessary to replicate in order to go back and if a new page is added the thing “gets even worse”.
All of this is still possible. However, we can also go and take advantage of the screen, which thanks to a swipe movement will change the page. In this way we can use the key of profile change exactly for that and we can avoid doing it to change the page. By doing so we can create infinite dedicated profiles and perhaps create real entire pages where we can “switch” between profiles using a button and change the page of the profile itself by swiping the LCD screen.
If so we need two pages for Streamlabs and another two (or more) pages for DaVinci Resolve we can dedicate a single key to the program and change the page with a single swipe movement. In this way everything becomes much more comfortable.
Even the wheels are new and even in this case things improve and not a little. By programming the latter we could control the various volumes of speakers, headphones, microphones and anything else you have connected to the PC. Again in reality the only limit is your imagination.
We have also already talked of impossibility from to remove il pedestal and consequently we will not return to the subject.
Who should buy the new Stream Deck+?
In conclusion this new version of the console more start of the streamer makes many changes compared to past models. The LCD screen which allows us to change pages as the casters are a great addition.
In our tests we enjoyed trying several plugins but obviously trying them all is impossible. We have once again found that such an object it’s convenient to a myriad of insiders. Content creators but also other categories of shortcut lovers.
Lo Stream Deck+ gets better and probably replaces the previous model and as long as you have the financial resources it is an object highly recommended also with a view to replacing an older model.
The recommended price is 229,90 €.
Plus points
- New page management system
- New Plugins
- Innovative adjustment system
Points against
- The stand is no longer removable
- The connection cable disconnects too easily