--- title: 'Elgato Finally Went Too Far' source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=Hy0zuTQl7h0' video_id: 'Hy0zuTQl7h0' date: 2026-08-05 duration_sec: 402 --- # Elgato Finally Went Too Far > Source: [Elgato Finally Went Too Far](https://youtube.com/watch?v=Hy0zuTQl7h0) ## Summary The video is a detailed review and thought experiment about the Elgato Stream Deck XL, a large 36-button control device. The creator explores three scenarios where such a large device could be useful, discusses the new Insta360 Link 2 Pro webcam, and evaluates the Stream Deck XL's value proposition. ### Key Points - **Introduction to the Stream Deck XL** [00:02] — The video starts with a humorous take on the Stream Deck XL, which has 32 buttons, comparing it to the Stream Deck Plus with 4 dials. The creator questions if Elgato has gone too far with this large device. - **Scenario 1: Flashback Recording** [01:10] — The creator explains how the extra buttons allow for multiple flashback recording buttons with different lengths (1, 2, 5, 10, 15 minutes), which is useful for capturing longer moments on stream. - **Scenario 2: Organization and Navigation** [02:05] — The large button layout allows for better organization with blank buttons for grouping, and dedicated buttons for PTZ camera controls like a D-pad, without wasting space. - **Insta360 Link 2 Pro Webcam** [03:00] — The creator promotes the new Insta360 Link 2 and Link 2 C Pro webcams, highlighting a larger sensor for better image quality, a wider field of view, and a new 'track area' feature for boundary-based tracking. - **Scenario 3: Dial Utilization** [04:21] — The creator explains that four dials were not enough, so they used two Stream Deck Plus units. The XL's six dials allow for controlling multiple volumes (game, teammates) without switching pages. - **Backpack Compatibility and Power** [05:00] — The creator tests if the Stream Deck XL fits in a backpack, noting that the USB hub and XLR hub fit, but the current one doesn't due to power consumption. They hope for a beefier hub in the future. - **Value Assessment** [05:28] — The Stream Deck XL is priced at $350. Compared to the Stream Deck XL ($250) and Stream Deck Plus ($200), the XL offers more buttons and dials, making it a good value for those who need them. - **Market Demand and Size Warning** [06:10] — The creator notes that 1,000 people bought the Stream Deck XL and 2,000 bought the Stream Deck Plus in the last month, indicating a market. However, the XL is very large and may not fit under a monitor. ### Conclusion The Stream Deck XL is a niche but valuable device for streamers who need many buttons and dials, offering a good value compared to existing options. However, its large size may be a drawback for some users. ## Transcript that it seems like Elgato never seems to ask themselves. ask themselves. Have we gone too far? should have named it the Stream Deck Chungus. Let me paint a picture here. Here we have a Stream Deck XL. This has 32 buttons. 32 buttons. This has 36 buttons. Here we have a Stream Deck Plus. This has four dials. This one has six dials. So it it [music] wins everywhere and it is very big. So at what point do we decide we've flown a little too close to the sun? I would like to propose three not sure if this is too much or not. This will be a fun thought experiment to >> [music] >> on this. Then I will tell you some especially if you're interested in picking it up and we'll talk about the price and if it's even a good value to begin with. So, scenario number one. When I got the Stream Deck XL in the mail, I laughed at friend, I said this is insane. Why would anybody need this? And I found uses over the years. I feel like I've become a goldfish where you to use them and then I can't go back to just the regular 15 after that. One of buttons is I can put buttons on here that I might only use once or twice a them. For example, flashback recording. Something happens on stream that I want or throw on TikTok or whatever, I hit a button and it retroactively records the previous 60 seconds. That was my normal flashback button, 60 seconds. But what if it was a longer conversation and I wanted two minutes or five minutes? Or what if I forgot to record it and 10 minutes later I went, oh, I got to grab that. I want a 15-minute button. It was hard to justify doing that when I had 15 buttons, but if I got 36 buttons, sure. I'll put five flashback recording buttons on there at all different lengths, just in case. And I still mostly use the one-minute one, but I think I used the five-minute one one time, and I was happy it was there. Scenario number two, [music] your buttons. Buttons that you literally leave blank just to organize navigate. For the longest time, my layout of my Stream Deck XL was all of my scenes and sources and transitions in the top left corner, my flashback buttons along the right side, and my switches to turn on [music] and off my cameras in the bottom left. I think in total I only used 15 to 16 buttons, and so I technically could have done it on a regular Stream Deck, but having them meant I could see them faster. I knew exactly where it was. I didn't have to Could have done it on a regular Stream Deck, but it was nicer on the big one. like if you need arrow buttons for controlling your PTZ camera, like the Insta360 Link 2 Pro, you can set up a traditional D-pad on the side without it taking up 60% of your buttons. But let me take a second to tell you a little bit more about the brand new Insta360 Link 2 and Link 2 C Pro, since they are basically taken everything you love about the super popular Link 2 and Link 2 C, and then completely beefed them up. Starting with a massive sensor. The new larger than the previous generation. That means you're getting way more light higher quality image. When you get this much more light entering your camera, quality image and better colors, especially in your shadowy areas and in your super bright areas. A larger sensor which is another thing that makes it look more like a professional camera. into these Pros, including a wider field of view. They added an extra mic to the top, so you can get more directional audio if you want to use your webcam's really cool called track area, because you know this camera can already follow you around the room. Well, now you can set a boundary of if you walk outside anymore. That way if you want to like walk past the camera, it's not going to follow you real awkwardly and give your audience vertigo. Or if you really love but you don't care about the motors, the Link 2-C is $50 cheaper and it has the motors in it. So, if you've been in the market for a new webcam and you want something that looks spectacular, I'll put a link to the Link 2 Pro and Link 2-C Pro in the description down below. Scenario number three, you really utilize dials like me. I just found that four dials wasn't enough for what I used. I needed three dials to control my three main volume things, my game, my constantly used three other dials to control individual volumes of my teammates in Discord cuz sometimes sometimes you got someone with a loud or a quiet mic. So, I've been using two Stream Deck Plus's for the last couple years cuz I didn't want to have to swipe back and forth between pages. Six dials when Elgato showed this to me at TwitchCon, I thought, that is the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen. Why do we need that? But realistically, I'm never be able [music] to go back. But I'm interested to know your take on this you guys are going to ask, uh what about backpacks? Things like this little USB wanted to see if it would [music] work. You are able to put the USB hub, the XLR hub fits, but the current one won't work. And that's due to power consumption. Apparently, a single USB port can't power both this massive audio interface with a preamp inside of it. I hope at some point they'll release beefier that goes in the back so I can have an audio interface on here as well, that you can throw on there. But how about its value? Is it worth the $350 price tag? So, let's compare to what's already out there. The Stream Deck XL is already out there. The Stream Deck XL is $250. Buying a Stream Deck Plus XL is like picking up a Stream Deck XL and then [music] paying an extra $100 to add four more buttons and six dials. And considering a Stream Deck Plus, which has eight more buttons and four dials, is $200, I'd say just in terms of value of what's already out there, this is a great value if those are things that you need. And if that's not you, then it's not you. But considering the last month on Amazon, 1,000 people have bought this device, which is like 4 years old, and 2,000 people have bought this device, I think there's a solid market for something like this. But I do need to warn you, this is very big. It legitimately doesn't fit [music] under my monitor at its highest setting. Still use it. And as always, And as always, happy streaming.