Today, we’re giving you our Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 review as we discuss everything necessary about the MK.2. It’s an important item to have, especially when you’re live streaming. That’s because the critical part of it is managing different programs and applications simultaneously.
But with Stream Deck MK.2, you’ll be able to pull in and utilise software such as 4K Capture Utility. These also include Philips Hue, YouTube, PowerPoint, and a whole lot more.
If this product is necessary for your streaming needs, continue reading our Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 review. Here, we’ll give you information about its specifications, features, design, and even how well it performed.
Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 Packaging
Our Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 arrived in a blue cardboard box. In front, you’ll see an image of the product at the centre while the company’s logo is above it. Along with the logo, you’ll also find the unit’s name written.
Below the image is the tagline “Evolve your content” written in English and in French. On the lower right portion of the box, you’ll find the company’s name.
The sides of the box indicate some of the product’s features as well as the package contents.
Inside, you’ll find the product itself with its desktop stand, USB-C to USB-A cable, and a quick start guide. The items were placed in an organised manner to keep each of these safe while in transit.
Now, we can focus on the design and functions of the product in our Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 review. We’ll discuss its appearance, style, form, and more.
Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 Review – Design and Functionality
The Stream Deck MK.2 features 15 keys like its predecessor, but their build and design are different. This newer model is smaller, sleeker, and sturdier. Because of its size, it weighs lighter than the original model.
The buttons are raised and separated by black bars, making it easier to determine where each of these are. The buttons are also tactile when pressed – something that a lot of people would definitely like.
It comes with a secure and interchangeable faceplate which is still easy to remove when customising the MK.2. If you want custom plates, these are available for separate purchase on Elgato’s official website.
The stand of the MK.2 looks completely different compared to the older model. The old one featured an adjustable stand, while this is a fixed, weighted, single-piece stand tilted at 45-degrees. Plus, it has an anti-slip base that makes it feel more sturdy.
The included USB-C measures a meter long, and we liked that it’s detachable. This type is more convenient compared to the older model that had a short cable built into the product.
The icons for the macro keypad can be personalised with different images and emotes. If you aren’t into customisations, you can opt for preloaded icon packs from the Elgato Stream Deck Store.
Key Features of the Elgato Stream Deck MK.2
Our Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 review also covers the key features of the product. Here, we’ll see what this stream deck has to offer.
Take Full Control with Convenience
The 15 LCD keys are designed to trigger unlimited actions. These one-touch tactile keys let you launch social media posts, control apps, mute your mic, adjust audio, and more. The visual feedback confirms each of your commands.
Personalise and Make the Stream Deck M.2 Yours
The Stream Deck M. 2’s faceplate is removable, allowing you to switch it with another one. Modifying the Stream Deck M.2 is easy, plus you can choose from a wide variety of cool designs. You can also paint on the faceplate and add decals to fully customise it.
Aside from the faceplate, you can personalise the Stream Deck MK.2 with custom screensavers and icons.
Creating with Ease
The MK.2 integrates your tools, detects media, scenes, and audio sources. With that, you can enjoy improved workflow while staying focused on your audience.
With your tools integrated, you can easily launch GIFs and onscreen videos, or trigger sound effects and audio clips. Also, you can activate your intermission screen and signature outro graphics.
The Stream Deck Store – Find Everything You Need
Elgato’s official Stream Deck store is where you can find all your Stream Deck needs. The store offers loads of options that increase each day. You can find icon packs made by various designers, including Visuals By Impulse.
Currently, the store has over a hundred plugins and a lot of resources like effects, royalty-free tracks, and video tutorials. With all these options, you’ll definitely find what you need.
Improve Your Workflow
With the MK. 2’s Hotkey Actions, you can integrate macros into the keys for quick identification and deployment. There’s no need for keyboard shortcuts to launch websites & apps, open folders, and access pre-composed texts.
Streamline your film editing, photography, or music production workflow. The Stream Deck MK.2 gives you endless options.
Trigger Automations
The Stream Deck MK.2 allows you to stream with convenience. Pressing a key lets you switch your ring light on, send your welcome message, launch apps, and more.
The Multi Actions feature lets you string any number of actions in one key. Plus, you can trigger these actions intermittently or all at once.
Easy Customisation
Customising the Stream Deck MK.2 is easy. All you have to do is drag actions onto the keys and add the icons. If you need more actions, turn the keys into folders, then add everything you need.
Unique key layouts can also be saved as profiles for you to quickly access when needed in specific tasks.
While creating our Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 review, we really experienced quick and easy customisations with it. And that’s one of the things we liked about it.
Specifications
The Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 uses a USB 2.0 interface and has 15 customisable LCD keys. Its dimensions are 118 x 84 x 25mm with the stand attached. Without the stand, it measures 116.8 x 83 x 25.4mm.
It weighs 270g with the stand and without it, the product only weighs 145g.
For its system requirements, it’s compatible with Windows 10 (64-bit) and macOS 10.13 or higher versions.
This time, we’re looking at how it performed when we tried it for our Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 review. It will help you decide if the MK.2 is something you really need or want for your streams.
Hands-on with the Elgato Stream Deck MK.2
Setting up the Elgato Stream Deck MK.2
Setting up the Stream Deck MK.2 is a quick three-step process. Out of the box, the stand was already attached to the console.
We removed the stand before plugging the USB-C cable that we fit through the stand’s hole. This way, we were able to keep the cable neat and organised.
Once the USB-C cable was plugged, we connected the other end of the cable to our computer. Once we’ve completed the setup, we proceeded to configure the MK.2 via the software.
Before we continue our Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 review for its performance, we’ll quickly discuss the Stream Deck App.
The Stream Deck App is the utility suite for configuring various Elgato Stream Deck units including the MK.2. You can download this application from the company’s official website.
Navigating the software was easy since it had an organised user-friendly interface. The app has all 15 keys displayed while on the right sidebar, we saw the list of available actions.
Configuring each button was easy. All we had to do was drag and drop an action to a specific key on the button map.
Built-in actions are organised by app or function. These include categories for Elgato Game Capture, Soundboard, OBS Studio, Twitter, Twitch, Streamlabs OBS, and Stream Deck functions.
Adding more buttons isn’t possible, but the Streamdeck Apps allows adding folders to store a set of actions.
The Elgato Stream Deck M.2 is not only used to make streaming easier. It helps adjust audio and voice modding too. The Stream Deck Store has free and paid plugins for these features.
Now, our Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 review will focus on how good it performed during our tests.
In our tests, we used the MK.2 for streaming and non-streaming purposes. We’ll first talk about it when we tried it out for streaming.
In the entire duration of our stream, we only used the keyboard a few times. That was to update our stream title and change the game we were playing.
We used the MK.2 for scene transitions, sound effects, and for muting the mic. It made our streaming experience more seamless and fun.
For non-streaming uses, we utilised the Stream Deck MK.2 for Zoom meetings. The MK.2 has a Zoom plugin for switching the camera on and off, as well as muting the mic. These worked well in each tap which is something we liked.
Overall, the Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 was easy to use. Thanks to this, we were able to be more interactive during our stream without wasting a lot of time. With that, we enjoyed our experience while using this product.
Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 Review Summary
The Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 is an excellent addition to your streaming setup. It makes streaming easier and allows you to interact more with your audience.
The Stream Deck MK.2 allows you to perform various tasks like posting a tweet with ease. All you have to do is tap on a single button instead of using your mouse and keyboard.
It’s true that most of these commands can be done with keyboard shortcuts. But the Stream Deck MK.2 makes it faster and easier which is ideal when streaming. Having all of these shortcuts in one place makes it easier to access for a more enjoyable streaming experience.
And as we mentioned earlier, we also used the MK.2 for non-streaming purposes. Since it’s highly customisable, you can create your own shortcuts for specific programs to improve your workflow.
Its removable faceplate for modifications is a bonus. If you want to add your personal touch to all your devices, you can do this on the MK.2.
With all of these features, it’s easy to recommend the Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 especially if you’re a streamer. If you want to get your hands on this product, you can purchase it from Elgato’s official website.
