I love my original Elgato Stream Deck. It may just look like a set of buttons, but being able to program each one with a growing set of functions has streamlined my experience so much. From being able to quickly trigger the airhorn sound that starts every stream, to switching between overlays, to running elaborate game shows on Boss Rush, I can easily perform all of these functions and more without breaking the flow of the show.
If I had one wish, it would be for the Stream Deck to have more buttons. While you do get the option of adding folders to the mix, my default setup uses more than the 15 buttons available. In particular, Boss Rush can require upwards of 60 (!) buttons, making it a hassle at times to fish between folders for certain functions.
Elgato heard me. The new Stream Deck XL is out now, with a whopping 32 buttons. It’s not quite 60, but it’s more than what you’d get from running up two regular Stream Decks at once.
Getting access to the Stream Deck XL won’t come cheap. It’s launching at $250 US, which does make me grit my teeth. However, as someone who sips the Stream Deck Kool-Aid, this is on my must-buy list someday. Barring any sort of hardware defects, I can only imagine the Stream Deck XL being worth every penny. Even as someone who loves the original Stream Deck, I’d upgrade to this one in a heartbeat if I had the money for one.
Between the six-button Mini, 15-button original, and now the 32-button XL, there’s a Stream Deck for streamers of all sorts. You can even simulate the Stream Deck experience with the official phone app. Which one is right for you? Whichever method you choose, I highly recommend adding some sort of stream controller to your experience!
Buy the Elgato Stream Deck XL Now From Amazon.com
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