Stream Deck software and plugins

The short version

Stream Deck is also the name of Elgato’s app, and the keys do nothing without it. The app is free with every Stream Deck and with the Stream Deck Mobile phone app. The current version needs Windows 11 (64-bit) on an Intel or AMD processor, or macOS 13 Ventura or later. Download it from Elgato’s Stream Deck software page, install it, plug the Stream Deck in, then drag an action from the list on the right onto a key. For OBS, add the OBS Studio plugin: it needs Stream Deck 5.3 and OBS 27.0 or newer.

1. Download it and check your computer

Download the app from Elgato’s Stream Deck software page. Elgato’s current requirements are Windows 11 (64-bit) with an Intel or AMD processor, or macOS 13 Ventura or later. It warns that Windows on ARM may not work as expected, so check before you buy a controller for an ARM laptop.

Elgato keeps older versions for older Macs: Stream Deck 6.5 to 6.8.1 run on macOS 11 Big Sur, and macOS 13 is the minimum from 6.9 onwards. Elgato doesn’t say which older version still runs on Windows 10.

2. Actions, profiles, pages and folders

An action is one command on one key, such as switching a scene or muting a microphone. You drag it from the action list onto a key, then set it up in the Property Inspector at the bottom of the window.

A profile is a whole layout for one job: one for streaming, another for editing. Pages add more keys to a profile, and folders tuck rarely used actions behind one key. A Multi Action runs several actions from a single press. Keep the actions you need mid-show, such as mute and your fallback scene, on the first page: a folder has to be opened first. Setting up Stream Deck for OBS covers that layout.

3. Add plugins from Marketplace

A plugin adds actions for another app or device. Plugins come from Elgato Marketplace, which needs Stream Deck 6.4 or newer and a free Marketplace account. Many plugins are free.

• Click the Marketplace icon at the top of the Stream Deck window. Marketplace opens in your web browser, or go to marketplace.elgato.com.
• Choose Stream Deck, then Plugins. Search, or filter by operating system, type, or dial support for the Stream Deck + dials.
• Choose Get (or add the plugin to your cart and check out), then Open in Stream Deck and let the browser open the app.
• The plugin’s name appears in the action list on the right. Drag its actions onto keys.

4. Connect it to OBS

Elgato’s OBS Studio plugin needs Stream Deck 5.3 or newer and OBS Studio 27.0 or newer. Its actions include Scene, Audio Mixer (mute and unmute a source), Stream, Record, Record Pause, Replay Buffer and Replay Buffer Save, Virtual Camera, Studio Mode, Source Visibility, Filter, Screenshot and Scene Collection.

Three settings save a show. Turn on Long Press for the Stream and Record keys: the key then has to be held for five seconds, so a stray press can’t end your stream. Record Pause works only when OBS records to FLV, MKV, TS or M3U8. Replay Buffer must first be turned on in OBS (Settings, Output, Replay Buffer).

Switch scene collections before you go live: the action swaps your entire set of scenes at once. Setting up Stream Deck for OBS takes you through testing your first scene and mute keys. If OBS is open and the plugin doesn’t load, start with Stream Deck not connecting.

5. Stream Deck Mobile: the app on your phone

Stream Deck Mobile turns an iPhone, iPad or Android phone into keys for the same desktop app, so it can’t work without a computer. It needs Stream Deck 6.3 or newer on the computer, iOS or iPadOS 15.0 or Android 9.0 or newer, and the phone and computer on the same router. To pair, open the device menu at the top left of the Stream Deck app and choose Add Mobile Device.

Six keys are free. Stream Deck Mobile Pro, a subscription, adds more keys, layouts and the on-screen Virtual Stream Deck. A Pro subscription bought on iPhone doesn’t carry over to Android, or the other way round.

6. Controllers that use other software

Not every controller runs in the Stream Deck app. The CORSAIR GALLEON 100 SD keyboard’s 12 keys and two dials do, with CORSAIR Web Hub for the keyboard itself. Logitech’s MX Creative Console is set up in Logi Options+, the Razer Stream Controller X in Loupedeck Software and the MiraBox Stream Dock N4 in MiraBox’s Stream Dock software. The AJAZZ AKP153 uses its maker’s own software and the AJAZZ Marketplace. On any of these, check that the action you need is there. The Stream Deck comparison names the software for every controller it covers, and Stream Deck alternatives covers the other options.

Questions

Is the Stream Deck software free? Yes. Elgato says it comes free with every controller, and with the phone app. Only Stream Deck Mobile Pro, the subscription that adds keys on a phone, costs money.

Can I use a Stream Deck without the software? No. The app has to run on the computer: it holds your profiles and sends each action.

The app doesn’t see my Stream Deck. Check that the app lists it, then the profile and what each key controls, before you change the cable or port: Stream Deck not connecting goes through it in that order.

Does it run on Windows 10? Elgato’s current requirements list only Windows 11 (64-bit), and Elgato doesn’t say which older version runs on Windows 10.

Where do I change what a key shows? Select the key and use the Property Inspector at the bottom of the window. A plugin action can also show its app’s live state on the key.