A new version of the 15-key Stream Deck features scissor-keys instead of membrane ones
A slew of new Elgato Stream Decks have been announced, aimed at everyone from the usual individuals, through network users and DIY fans, and even on to other manufacturers.
Elgato’s Stream Deck may have begun as an accessory for gamers and streamers, but it’s become a whole series of devices for Mac productivity. Now Elgato has announced four new variants designed to expand the Stream Deck’s use and widen its appeal.
The four new additions to the Stream Deck range are:
- New scissor-key version
- Virtual Stream Deck
- Network Dock
- Modular Stream Deck
Updated scissor-key Stream Deck
At present, all variations of the Elgato Stream Deck bar the pedal version, have featured buttons with the same membrane system. Now the Stream Deck Mk 2 — the 15-key version — will come with a new scissor-key system that is claimed to have shorter travel, and be better for rapid pressing.
Elgato has not said yet whether the scissor-key system will come to the 6-key or 32-key models, nor the lower-cost Neo range. But the new version of the 15-key Mk 2 model is due to ship in before early June, and will cost the same $149.99 as the previous edition.
It’s not clear whether the scissor-key option is intended to completely replace the older membrane one. At present, the Elgato site offers both.
Virtual Stream Deck
Now available in beta, the new Virtual Stream Deck brings Stream Deck-like buttons to Mac screens. Elgato has long had a Stream Deck Mobile app for iPhone, but this new system puts buttons on-screen on the Mac, either permanently, or on demand.
Whether the buttons stay on screen all the time, or are shown with a keystroke, they can function like physical Stream Deck buttons. The exception is that, as well as being on-screen, Virtual Stream Deck shows only buttons that have had actions assigned to them.
So it’s possible to have a single Virtual Stream Deck button on the screen. Equally, though, the beta allows for up to eight rows of eight buttons — in any one Virtual Stream Deck.
It’s possible to add more than one Virtual Stream Deck. Elgato has not published details of any limits, and AppleInsider added 20 with no sign of a reason to stop.
The new Virtual Stream Deck provides up to 64 buttons at once, but only shows active ones on screen
Once the beta is installed, the Virtual Stream Deck is available to any existing Stream Deck user. It is configured using the regular Stream Deck Mac app.
Network Dock
Coming in August 2025, Network Dock for Stream Deck is an adapter that connects an Elgato Stream Deck to an Ethernet network. It follows the company’s 32-button, rack-mounted Stream Deck Studio, which is intended for broadcast companies and includes Ethernet support.
This new Network Dock fits inside the stand of the 32-button Stream Deck XL. It’s similar to how Elgato’s USB Hub fits to the stand of the Stream Deck+.
Elgato says that this Network Dock will let users extend the systems they control. Rather than being for an individual computer, it will enable them to also control remote stations.
Network Dock for Stream Deck will cost $79.99.
Modular Stream Deck
The new scissor-key Stream Deck, the virtual ones, and the Network Hub are all aimed at the individual end user, but the new Modular Stream Deck chiefly is not. These are three different devices that Elgato will effectively be selling as white label products — intended for other manufacturers to use in their own systems.
Elgato describes these are bare-bones versions of its regular Stream Decks, and offers them in 6-, 15-, and 32-key versions. Each one looks and feels like a Stream Deck, but does not come in a regular Elgato stand.
Instead, they are shipped in a chassis that is intended to be inserted directly into a manufacturer’s custom device.
The Stream Deck Modules will also be available for DIY enthusiasts, and will cost $49.99 for the 6-button model, $129.99 for 15 buttons, and $199.99 for 32 buttons. Manufacturers can negotiate discounts for five or more units, up to 100.
Elgato Stream Deck range
The newly-expanded Stream Deck range comes just over a year since Elgato launched an expansion into more consumer-priced devices. As well as microphones and lights, this Neo range included one Stream Deck, an 8-button edition.
In 2023, the company also launched a Teleprompter that AppleInsider described as “game-changing and close to perfect.”
