The new scissor keys are nice. I'd like to see a couple of improvements: — I really wish this thing had retina-level resolution on the keys. Complex graphics or fine lines aren't very legible on the little diplays. It's cool to be able to show album art, etc. but it's very difficult to see. — Would also be nice if it had a built-in light sensor like an iphone, to make the screen brighter in sunlight and dimmer (also warmer?) at night, rather than having to adjusting brightness manually.
I know that the Stream Deck was made for streamers, but for accounting and general productivity, it is a game changer. The ability to open files that are 8 clicks deep in another file, the ability to add repetitive formulas in Excel, open my most use master files, having the most use general ledger code mapped to a key, creating files for my most used action while doing payroll, prepaids, accruals, and financial reviews, and so much more is amazing. The most amazing thing is programing a 10-step Excel action to a single button, saving me precious time when I have to do this 200 times a week.
I treated myself to the Elgato Stream Deck after making affiliate on Twitch. I was excited because I thought it was going to make my life so much easier. In reality, it's so annoying and most of the time is an expensive paperweight taking up space on my desk.
Nothing stays consistently connected, not the apps (neither native elgato apps or externally developed apps) and, more befuddlingly, not my Elgato Key Light. In other words, the buttons/dials that are supposed to control certain apps or the key light don't respond, so I have to 1) forego whatever app I spent time downloading and setting up, and 2) manually control the key light through their jenky desktop app. I bought both elgato key light and the stream deck because I was SURE those two things would stay connected, *because they both come from elgato* and I cannot imagine they would release products that weren't unerringly reliable.
What's worse is that sometimes it'll work and sometimes it won't, so the thing is *also* getting my hopes up and then breaking my heart, over and over again, because, like a sucker, I haven't given up on it yet and keep thinking "I can change him!"
I've done everything that Elgato and the internet more broadly suggest as fixes and nothing has worked. I would return it if I could (or maybe I wouldn't, because I am still foolishly holding out hope). Either way, I regret purchasing it. Maybe the non-dial version is more reliable, but my experience with this particular product has been awful.
Response from elgato.comBy Victor, Tech-Marketing, October 28, 2024
Dear smb2024, We are terribly sorry about your experience with the Stream Deck. The Stream Deck is one of the best products on the PC/streaming market, if not THE best, and we don't want anyone to regret their purchase. Please open a ticket at help.elgato.com and together we will work on a solution!
I purchased this product to assist in making my workflow more efficient, WOW is it life saver! I can use many functions on one device without having to switch between monitors. Not only is this for streamers, but any type of creators! This is definitely the best purchase I have made for my content!