---
title: 'Maximize Productivity with Elgato Stream Deck! (Review & How To)'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=_u8LCgL7hcg'
video_id: '_u8LCgL7hcg'
date: 2026-06-15
duration_sec: 444
---

# Maximize Productivity with Elgato Stream Deck! (Review & How To)

> Source: [Maximize Productivity with Elgato Stream Deck! (Review & How To)](https://youtube.com/watch?v=_u8LCgL7hcg)

## Summary

The Elgato Stream Deck is a versatile macro keypad that can boost productivity across various tasks, from video editing to smart home control. Originally designed for streamers, it now offers endless customization through plugins and even a free mobile app.

### Key Points

- **Stream Deck Overview** [0:00] — The Elgato Stream Deck is hailed as the best accessory, limited only by creativity.
- **Evolution of Stream Deck** [0:29] — Created in 2017 for streamers, by 2023 it has become a versatile productivity tool.
- **Five Models Available** [0:46] — Models include Mini, Mark II, XL, Foot Pedal, and Plus with touchscreen and knobs.
- **Mark II Features** [1:00] — 15-key Mark II is the best balance of size and function, with replaceable face plates.
- **Build and Connectivity** [1:30] — Plastic build with rubber base, USB-C for power and data, no external power brick.
- **Stand Limitations** [1:54] — Mark II stand offers only two angles, unlike the Mark I's multiple angles.
- **Display Resolution** [2:04] — LCD screens have 72x72 pixels; XL has 96x96, but Mini and Mark II do not.
- **Configuration Software** [2:24] — Requires Elgato's Stream Deck software running in background for customization.
- **Use Case: Photo/Video Editing** [2:53] — Create macros for hotkeys in DaVinci Resolve or Adobe Lightroom for faster editing.
- **Use Case: Software Engineering** [3:35] — Plugins for Visual Studio Code, Xcode, Unity, JetBrains IDE for debugging and code actions.
- **Use Case: Smart Home Control** [3:58] — Integrates with Home Assistant and Homebridge to control lights, plugs, etc.
- **Use Case: Business Work** [4:23] — MuteDeck plugin for Zoom/Teams, control PowerPoint, Keynote, Slack, iCal meeting timer.
- **Companion App for Advanced Control** [4:49] — Bitfocus Companion allows control of ATEM switchers, ProPresenter, audio mixers, etc.
- **Free Stream Deck via Mobile App** [5:41] — Stream Deck Mobile offers 6 free buttons; Pro subscription ($25/year) gives 64 keys.
- **Conclusion and Price** [6:52] — Mark II is $130; Stream Deck is a top productivity accessory.

### Conclusion

The Elgato Stream Deck is a powerful productivity tool with endless customization through plugins and a free mobile app option, making it accessible to everyone.

## Transcript

This is the Elgato Stream Deck,
and it is hands down the
best accessory you can buy.
The possibilities are only
limited by your creativity.
So let's check this thing out,
give you some thoughts or
ideas on how you could use this
and how you can even get
a Stream Deck for free.
Hey there, macro lover,
it's Brian from Accessify.
And on this channel, we
do unboxings, reviews,
and much more of
accessories for your tech.
So if any of that
interests you, you know what to do.
So back in 2017, Elgato
created the Stream Deck,
and it was originally
targeted for streamers
to automate basic tasks for
controlling their streams.
But now it's 2023,
and it's become so much
more than we ever thought.
Now we wanna use it to
improve your workflow
like it did for me.
Now there are five
models of the Stream Deck
that you could buy right now.
There's the Stream
Deck Mini, the Mark II,
the XL, the Foot
pedal, and the newer Plus
with a bunch of buttons,
a nice little touchscreen,
and four rotatable knobs.
But today we are gonna talk about the
version that I have,
which is the 15 key Mark II,
which I think is the
best of size and function.
Now it comes in two
colors, which are black or white,
and you even have replaceable face plates
so you could personalize
your Stream Deck to your liking.
From what I understand, the Mark II
is actually the only
model in the whole lineup
that has these face
plates that you could swap out.
I don't even think the Mini or even the
XL have this option.
So if you really want customization,
the Mark II is where it's at.
The Stream Deck comes
in an all plastic finish
with a decently big rubber anti-slip
surface at the bottom.
Now build quality feels very good
and I have no complaints here.
At the bottom you
will find the USB-C port
that's used to provide power
and data to your Stream Deck.
So yep, no external power
bricks here, thank goodness.
Included also is a
stand to change the angle
of your Stream Deck if you choose.
And unfortunately with the Mark II,
you only get two angles to choose from,
which kind of stinks
since the Mark I had a stand
which allowed you to have
multiple angles to choose from.
Each LCD screen has a
resolution of 72 by 72 pixels,
but the XL version actually has 96 by 96.
I'm not sure why
there's a higher resolution
in the XL model.
If you know, let me
know in the comments below,
but kind of wish I saw that in the Mini
and the Mark II models.
I think that'd be really cool to see.
To configure your Stream Deck,
you will need to download
Elgato's Stream Deck software
on your computer and then
have it run in the background.
But once that's done,
you can now start
configuring your Stream Deck
to your liking.
But what are some of the
things that we can do with this?
Well, honestly, you can
make it as simple or as complex
as you want it to be, and
that's the beauty of it.
But to unlock more functionality,
you can use the Stream Deck plugin store
built into the software
to add on different plugins
to interact with
different hardware and software.
So let's talk about just some of the ways
that you can use this for yourself.
The first way you can use
this is for creating macros
for photo or video editing.
Now for me, I do video for a living,
and I use DaVinci
Resolve as my editing software.
And I've been slowly
creating buttons on my Stream Deck
for my most used keyboard keys
to have quick and easy editing.
I just use the keyboard
customization settings in Resolve
and then assign a hotkey
button to whatever I need.
For example, let's say
cutting a video clip in a timeline.
You can also use the same
method for Adobe Lightroom.
Just use hotkeys to
make small or big changes
to your photos, or even use
a button to quickly add a LUT
to your photo for faster editing.
The second way you can use
this is as a software engineer.
Now, I know nothing about coding,
but just in the Stream
Deck store alone are ways
for you to interact with
Microsoft Visual Studio Code,
Apple's Xcode, Unity
Engine, and even JetBrains IDE.
So maybe you want some
simple debugging actions
starting or stopping your code,
whatever it may be, that's a possibility.
Third way you can use this
is to control your smart home.
And with Home Assistant being the best
smart home software,
this is a no-brainer.
You can control
lights, turn on smart plugs.
And honestly, if you can control
something on Home Assistant,
you can control it on your Stream Deck.
Now, Homebridge is here too as well
for people that may have
HomeKit focused smart homes
like myself, so I'm glad to
see this as a secondary option.
Fourth way I could see using this,
if you do a lot of business work,
if your business uses Zoom
or Microsoft Teams often,
you can have a plugin called MuteDeck,
which then you can control your webcam,
turning it on and off,
mute your microphone,
leave a meeting, whatever you want.
There are also plugins to control
Microsoft Powerpoint,
Apple Keynote, if you do
a lot of presentations,
update your Slack status.
And if you use iCAL, you can
even have your deck display
how long until your next meeting.
Finally, this is the
best third-party application
you can get and it's called Companion.
Now, this allows you to
control a massive list
of hardware and software
and how it all communicates
together to create
literally the ultimate workflow.
I mean, check this out,
this Stream Deck controls
an ATEM video switcher from Blackmagic.
And these Stream
Decks are working together
to fire ProPresenter slides
and give useful information
on how long videos have before ending
for someone controlling a live stream.
Your Stream Deck can control a whole
audio mixing console.
What?
There are some things you
will need to do to set this up,
but I'll leave the
Bitfocus Companion website
in the video
description below for instructions
on how to set this up.
But you don't even need a Stream Deck
to actually make that stuff work.
If you can access a
webpage, you can use Companion.
Now, like I mentioned in the beginning,
do you want a Stream Deck for free?
Well, we're gonna be
using the application
from Elgato called Stream Deck Mobile.
And as of June 27th,
2023, Stream Deck Mobile
gives you six Stream Deck buttons
completely for free.
That's having a
Stream Deck Mini for free,
heck, even with full
wireless connectivity.
Now, like the name
implies, you will need to use
a mobile device for this to work.
So if you have a spare
phone or tablet lying around,
this will be ideal.
But you could still
use your current device
if that's all you have.
Download the Elgato Stream Deck software
and I'll leave a link
in the video description
that will take you directly there.
Then download the Stream Deck
mobile app on your app store
and follow the
instructions on how to pair.
And now you have six
completely free buttons to use.
There's also the Pro Mobile subscription
that gives you up to 64
keys and some features
that aren't even possible
with the regular Stream Deck
for just $25 a year.
If you were to buy two Stream Deck XLs,
which would give you the 64 keys,
it would take you 20
years before you reach
the full retail price of
both of those XLs combined.
That's insane.
As you could see, I
believe the Stream Deck
is one of the best
accessories that you can own
and nothing is
stopping you from being able
to use the Stream Deck to
fully become more productive.
Now, the Mark II model
we talked about today
is currently $130 at the
time of this recording.
But there are other
models of the Stream Deck
that you can buy, so go down to the link
in the video description and I'll have
all of those down there
if you're interested.
Now, if you have some more free time,
I recommend you watch this
video that I just put on your
screen for your
convenience and I'll see you later.
Deuces.