In summary:
- PCWorld reviews the Elgato Stream Deck Plus XL, a $350 professional controller that combines 36 customizable LCD buttons with additional dials and screen features.
- This large device targets advanced content creators and streamers who need extensive control for video and audio production workflows.
- While feature-rich and powerful, its significant size and high price point make it suitable primarily for professional setups with ample desk space.
Holy crap, Corsair, née Elgato. The Stream Deck Plus XL might be too XL. It’s extra in just about every sense—dimension, capability, price. It’s basically the Stream Deck XL custom controller smashed on top of the Stream Deck Plus, with its dials and skinny screen. You get more than four times the buttons and two extra dials… for $350. Ouch.
The Stream Deck is great hardware, don’t get me wrong. It’s a staple for any setup designed to handle a lot of video and audio recording, live or otherwise. But with 36 customizable LCD buttons, I literally cannot imagine a situation where I can use this thing to its full capability. It’s too big for my desk—and my desk is 15 square feet!
So, obviously, it’s not aimed at me, which is fine. If you look at the Stream Deck Plus and the Stream Deck XL and you shout “More!” like Kylo Ren, then you’re probably sitting in front of thousands of dollars of pro equipment. In that case, $350 to expand capability in a (relatively) small 8.07 x 5.79 x 6.89-inch (205 x 147 x 175mm) space doesn’t seem too unreasonable. And at 2.4 pounds (1.09 kiograms), it makes a pretty good paperweight, too.
Elgato is selling the Stream Deck Plus XL now, and it also includes a handy comparison with the Stream Deck Plus, please and thank you. You might also be interested in the Corsair Galleon, a gaming keyboard that basically embeds a Stream Deck Plus in its number pad, or Logitech’s MX Creative Console.
Author: Michael Crider, Staff Writer, PCWorld
Michael is a 15-year veteran of technology journalism, covering everything from Apple to ZTE. On PCWorld he's the resident keyboard nut, always using a new one for a review and building a new mechanical board or expanding his desktop "battlestation" in his off hours. Michael's previous bylines include Android Police, Digital Trends, Wired, Lifehacker, and How-To Geek, and he's covered events like CES and Mobile World Congress live. Michael lives in Pennsylvania where he's always looking forward to his next kayaking trip.