Video game streaming continues to boom, with more and more players trying their luck broadcasting game footage. Not everyone can make it big, but there are plenty of viewers out there to compete for, and tools to help you succeed. The Elgato Stream Deck ($149.99) could be a serious streamer's best friend, offering a customizable set of shortcut buttons for your most frequent commands while broadcasting. It allows you to set multiple hotkeys across a variety of programs for streaming and video capture services, as well as other tasks like clipping game footage and setting macros. The Stream Deck is not essential for everyone, especially given its price, but for consistent streamers with an audience, it's a valuable accessory. What is the Stream Deck? Up front, you may be unsure what this product is for, so I'll start with an explanation. The Stream Deck is built for people who stream themselves playing video games via online streaming services (think Twitch, Mixer, and YouTube). T...
The Elgato Stream Deck isn't an essential tool for every PC gamer, but it's a legitimately useful and fun shortcut panel for consistent, serious streamers who want to enhance and streamline their broadcasts.
Genuinely useful streaming tool; Simple setup with a small footprint; Satisfying to use; Super-customizable interface with a variety of software and macro options
Price makes it best for the hardcore streaming crowd; Not every program is supported