We’re big fans of Elgato’s programmable dashboards, which allow you to control livestreams and broadcasts using a simple hub of buttons. Suffice to say, it’s a whole lot more convenient than dealing with multiple menus from various applications and platforms. If you decided to use more than one because the 15-button layout isn’t enough for your needs, you might want to check out the Elgato Stream Deck XL.
A bigger version of the outfit’s streaming dashboard, it has over twice as many buttons as the smaller panel, allowing you to map more than double the actions to make your broadcasts run smoother than ever. Whether you want an easy way to switch between cameras, change to a different layout in OBS, or trigger a sound effect to play on stream, this thing lets you do that by simply reaching to the dashboard and pressing a single button, making your production feel much more professional.
The Elgato Stream Deck XL retains the same form factor as previous versions of the dashboard, albeit in a bigger size that measures 7.2 x 4.4 x 1.3 inches (width x depth x height). Instead of the 15 buttons in the regular Stream Deck and the six buttons in the Mini, this one gets a whopping 32 buttons, all of which you can map to any shortcut, macro, or command on any program that you use. Those buttons are laid out in an 8 x 4 grid, with enough size and separation that should make pressing the wrong key a rare occurrence.
As with the previous iterations, each button has an individual screen that you can use to customize it with icon labels, making each one easier to identify with a quick glance. You can use either static or dynamic icons, too, so you can put an animated gif with blinking lights on there if you prefer torturing your eyes.
The Elgato Stream Deck XL allows you to assign not just individual actions to the keys, it also supports multiple actions that you can trigger with a single tap. You can even choose whether to execute the actions simultaneously or with timed intervals, making this a very versatile tool. Assigning actions is easy, too, with the interface allowing you to simply drag-and-drop actions onto keys. You can even assign buttons as folders, which gives you a new set of 32 keys, allowing you to program endless actions onto the board.
According to the outfit, the device is now fully integrated into Elgator Game Capture, OBS, Streamlabs, XSplit, Twitch, YouTube, Twitter, Mixer, and more. It can also work with a lot of other applications, so you can use it with your video editor, image editor, and a whole lot of other software. They also have an SDK available, so it can be further customized to be compatible with not just applications, but even smart objects you use both at home and the office.
Want one? The Elgato Stream Deck XL is available now.
- Advanced Live Production: easily control your favorite tools and platforms.
