Elgato - Stream Deck MK.2 Full-size Wired USB Keypad with 15 Customizable LCD keys and Interchangeable Faceplate - Black

This purchase was GREAT! I love it for streaming and just everyday use! You can do loads with the individual buttons and stream deck makes it easy!

can't even begin to tell you just how much I use this in my day-to-day. Well, actually I can, this is a review, it's kind of the point. But most people see "STREAM" deck and think "oh, this is for streaming". No, my mistaken friend, this is a multitool that is only limited to your imagination. Got a wireless keyboard? That's cool. What happens when it runs out of battery and you need to charge it? Make a folder on the Stream Deck specifically for shortcuts like Ctrl +, Ctrl X, Shift, Alt Tab, and more, and you've got all your non-typing needs met through it. Need some control in your life? This has plugins available through the program's built-in library for things like light control. As an example, I use Govee lights. From my Stream Deck, I can control which lights are on, what their brightness is, what their color is, and more! I also do game development on the side. Having to type out "\n<\n[3]>" to insert the name of the third character into text can get a little annoying every time you need to say their name. So I've got a system text button that types out fourteen different character names with a press of a button (the button in question has their face on them, too, did I mention image button customization?), as well as thirteen color codes to change the text's color mid-sentence. Of course, you can also use this to LAUNCH programs as well. If you're like me and you have hundreds of programs and you don't have your desktop icons turned on, going into your folders or scrolling through your program bar can be a hassle. Add buttons for it! You can even set up folders to hold game series (KH or FF anyone?), a folder for emulators, you can even put in Steam games. Forget the games for a bit, literally every single "exe" file can be executed with a single press of a button. And of course, lastly, YES I use mine for streaming too. Switching between scenes, opening up a dynamic text file to change the weekly shout-out, turning on/off my microphone, instant clips, alerts, chat commands...heck, I even have three clocks on here to show me the times of other viewers' time zones so I can stream a game THEY like when they're actually awake. And the multi-action tool allows me to create a button that does five or six different things in a row, which is perfect for if you need to put your streams into a lockdown for something serious. All in all, I haven't found a single thing this Stream deck CAN'T do. And if there IS something, the additional add-on plugins easily fix that. 10/10 would recommend for any streamer, but also any computer user to make life so much simpler and easier.

I am not a streamer. Heck, I don't even game much anymore. But I had to give up my gaming keyboard and return to using an ergonomic keyboard to avoid repetitive stress injury. While I admit that I miss the frivolous flashing light show, what I really miss was the macro keys, which I used for trivial things like special characters. Now I have rapid access to frequently-used special characters, media controls, single-button access to my NAS, router, etc. The keys have little screens on them. The automatic images are generally descriptive enough and highly customizable, and you can also create 72 pixel squared custom images for individual keys for further customization. The only minor complaint that I have is that if you want to open an app, you have to have a path. Apps installed from the Microsoft store and certain utilities built into Windows may not have a path that the user can easily get to. Thus, for Notepad and MS Paint, I had to create a batch file and and create a custom image of a screenshot of the start menu to have an icon.

Works great for streaming!!! Endless combinations you can program. I do flight and racing sim and this has saved a considerable amount of time opening individual files one at a time. With a push of one button I can open my Microsoft flight simulator, Sim Dashboard, Head tracking software, and OBS Studio to prepare for my stream. I also added a stream button that opens up all my streaming apps, sound boards, volume controls, and more. Yes, you can make your own sound boards using your audio files allocated on your pc. Adding images to the buttons is easy...Even Animated GIFS !!!! I can go on and on with how this has changed my progress within my streaming. Not a streamer? Not a problem.... You can use this for work to open up files without having to search....Open your calculator, spreadsheets, and so much more..... You'll never run out of room on this thing....Add sub folders, additional pages, there's no limit!!!

It's hard to overstate how much of a game changer this has been! My workflows include extensive work via web browser, music notation, document creation/editing, and light editing of audio and video. I've been able to set up profiles and workflows that have streamlined ALL OF THIS using this device. One crazy cool button type is the Multi-Action—in which, true to the name, you can create chains of events as complicated as you want to make them, even down to creating time delays between one action and the next if needed. Wow. My work with the Stream Deck is further optimized by combinations with other elements. As a Mac user, I use Keyboard Maestro which plays super well with the SD. I also have a second Stream Deck (a Neo) and have created profiles that let the two devices work in tandem. Using a Stream Deck does require a bit of tinkering when setting up buttons, folders, and profiles—and some logical puzzling along with trial-and-error to figure out just how you want things set up. Once it is though, it's golden! Icons—You can apply custom icons to the buttons you create. There are a decent number of free icons (Elgato's and others'), as well as third party icon packs for purchase. If you're like me, though, and REALLY want to customize, that process can be time-consuming if you're not already a whiz at visual design. Sometimes it's worth it; others I just grab icons off-the-shelf or leave the generic icons that come with different button types. Some folks complain about the lack of "grippiness" on the bottom of the unit. On my glass desk, this does indeed slip around. But I've gotten used to it and the functionality more than makes up for the fairly minor annoyance. Anyway, can't say enough good things about this. I definitely recommend—especially if you can pick it up on sale!