The Evolution of Elgato’s Macro Pad

The Elgato Stream Deck+ is the newest iteration in the Stream Deck line, adding a touch strip and rotary knobs to the familiar programmable keys.

It’s aimed at creators who want more than just scene switching or macro triggering, combining tactile controls with visual feedback for audio, lighting, and app functions in one compact unit.

The unit sits at a fixed, ergonomic angle with a sturdy built-in stand. It has eight bright, customizable LCD keys, a slim touch strip just below them, and four textured metal knobs beneath that. This layout makes it easy to see your shortcuts at a glance and also adds tactile control for real-time adjustments.

The display experience is excellent. Each LCD key is vibrant and clear, and the touch strip itself acts as a secondary display showing context for the knobs below it. You can swipe or tap on the strip to switch pages or trigger functions, so it feels like an integrated control surface rather than a collection of separate parts.

Always-On Power and Plug-and-Play Reliability

Performance on the Stream Deck+ is quick and reliable. Inputs fire with almost no lag, and the rotary knobs give smooth, incremental control over assigned functions like volume, brightness, or camera zoom. They’re also push-actuated, so a single tap can trigger an entirely different command without leaving your main screen.

Because it’s USB powered there’s no battery to manage. You just plug it in and it’s always ready. This makes it dependable for long streaming sessions or extended editing work without worrying about charging cycles or power drops.

Connectivity and compatibility are straightforward. It ships with a sturdy USB-C to USB-A cable and works best plugged directly into your computer. It’s supported on Windows and macOS and integrates smoothly with OBS, Streamlabs, Elgato Wave Link, and a wide variety of third-party tools through plugins.

The knobs can be mapped to act like a mixer, letting you adjust audio levels or other live parameters without needing a separate control surface. For streamers juggling multiple audio sources or anyone who wants fine real-time control, this turns the Stream Deck+ into more than just a macro pad.

A Compact Control Surface for Modern Creators

The Stream Deck+ takes the familiar macro pad concept and upgrades it with tactile knobs and a responsive touch strip, making it far more versatile than earlier models. It’s solidly built, integrates smoothly with Elgato’s software ecosystem, and offers creators a single surface for launching actions and making real-time adjustments without juggling multiple devices.

This model is best suited for streamers, podcasters, and content creators who need to control several inputs at once, and want the convenience of physical knobs and an at-a-glance touch display. It’s also appealing for power users who run complex workflows and prefer tactile control over menus or hotkeys.