There was a time when live streaming was a novelty in itself. Now, there are countless ways for users to customize their feeds, whether it’s with animations triggered by certain events or unique overlays, and the chances of a feed’s audience growing without these add-ons are slim. Elgato’s new Stream Deck Mini is intended to allow users to streamline (heh) the way they handle the complex aspects of streaming.
Elgato released the original Stream Deck in 2017 with a similar purpose. The main differences between this device and its little brother lie in the number of customizable LCD keys. The Stream Deck offers 15 keys that you can individually program to switch between “scenes”, activate sound effects or perform other actions that would have relied on a bunch of keyboard shortcuts. The Stream Deck Mini has six.
The reduced number of buttons on the new Stream Deck Mini will limit its usefulness – although you can recover some of the lost functionality by assigning folders to keys – but it also means the device is much smaller. When you’ve already crammed a system, mouse pad, keyboard, microphone, and at least one monitor onto your desk, chances are that cluttering it up more with the original Stream Deck was a no-go for streamers with space. limit.
Elgato said that since the launch of the original Stream Deck in 2017, it has “continued support and extended the functionality of Stream Deck with new features including a soundboard, GIF support, l integration of Streamlabs, smart profiles and much more “. All of these additional features will also make their way to the Stream Deck Mini, further reinforcing the idea that the number of buttons and the footprint are the only real differences.
The Stream Deck Mini is just another product from Elgato’s streaming line. Along with the original Stream Deck, the company also offers capture cards to allow streamers to stream from their consoles, as well as a foldable green screen to make it easier to set up custom backgrounds. (Elgato also made a Thunderbolt 3 dock, but it looks more like a traditional device than something specifically aimed at streamers.)
This portfolio makes Elgato a mainstay of the streaming market. It is therefore not surprising that Corsair decided to acquire the company in June. As more and more people hope to become the next big streamer, the lines between the gaming and streaming markets will likely continue to blur. Why bother competing with an established brand when you can just swallow it and reap the rewards of the work it has already done?
Elgato said the Stream Deck Mini is now available on Amazon, GameStop, and its online store for $ 100. The product is covered by a two year warranty and customer support will be available from Elgato and Corsair (Elgato remains independent under the Corsair umbrella). So if the only things that kept you from choosing the Stream Deck were its size and price, well, it looks like the Stream Deck Mini was for you.
