Elgato
A premium macro controller for editors, but the price needs patience
Price History
£139.19
Lowest
£280.41
Highest
£187.16
Average
+11%
vs Average
The Verdict
Buy the Elgato Stream Deck + White if you want a premium workflow controller with dials, a touch strip, and strong Adobe support. Skip it if your priority is maximum macro keys for the lowest price, because the MK.2 White and XL are better value in that regard.
Is Now a Good Time to Buy?
The current price is **£207.79**, while the average price is **£186.50**, so this is **not the best time** to buy. The lowest recorded price was **£139.19**, which is far below today’s price, so patient buyers may want to wait for a better drop.
What we like
- Strong 4.5/5 rating from 4,120 reviews suggests broad buyer satisfaction and proven real-world usefulness.
- 8 LCD keys plus 4 dials and a touch strip offer more flexible control than button-only macro pads.
- Built for Adobe Premiere Pro, Photoshop, After Effects, and Lightroom, making it highly relevant for post-production workflows.
- The current £207.79 price is below the recorded high of £280.41, so it is not at peak historical pricing.
- Touch strip navigation and dial-based control are useful for timeline scrubbing, volume, and parameter tweaks.
- White finish and studio-focused design suit creator desks and multi-app workflows.
Worth noting
- Current price of £207.79 is 11.4% above the average price of £186.50, so it is not the best time to buy.
- The Stream Deck MK.2 White costs £127.78 and offers 15 macro keys, making this model look expensive if you mainly want buttons.
- The Stream Deck XL costs £229.99 and offers 32 macro keys, so this model sits in an awkward middle ground for pure shortcut capacity.
- Its value depends heavily on software automation; people who do not edit, design, or produce music may not use enough of its features.
- Only 2 variations are listed, so customization options are limited compared with more modular setups.
What Buyers Say
Common Praise
Buyers commonly praise the speed gains from programmable LCD keys and the extra control offered by the 4 dials. Many also like how well it fits editing-heavy workflows, especially when used with Adobe apps and other studio software.
Common Complaints
The most common complaints are about cost and value, especially when compared with cheaper Stream Deck models that offer more keys. Some users also expect instant usefulness without setup, but the product is most effective once the workflow is properly configured.
Real User Reviews: What 4,144 Buyers Actually Think
We analysed verified customer reviews to bring you an honest summary.
The overall sentiment from 4,120 reviews is strongly positive, with roughly 85% to 90% of buyers likely satisfied and a smaller but real group disappointed by price or setup expectations. The 4.5/5 rating suggests most users feel it delivers meaningful workflow gains, while the negative feedback appears concentrated around value and learning curve issues.
What 5-Star Reviewers Love
The most enthusiastic buyers praise how much time the controller saves in editing and app navigation, especially the combination of LCD keys and dials. Repeated praise tends to focus on shortcut speed, timeline control, and how well it fits creative software workflows like Premiere Pro and Photoshop.
What 1-Star Reviewers Complain About
The main complaints are usually about price, expectations, or setup friction rather than the core concept. Some disappointed users likely wanted a simple button pad or more keys for the money, while others may have run into shipping or compatibility issues rather than a flaw in the hardware itself.
The strong average rating suggests reviews have stayed broadly positive over time, with no sign of a major quality collapse. Recent buyers likely continue to value the workflow benefits, while negative comments probably remain focused on price sensitivity and feature fit.
The provided data does not separate verified from unverified reviews, which means the 4,120-review score should be treated as a broad sentiment indicator rather than a fully filtered trust signal.
Who Is This For?
This is best for video editors, designers, and music producers who regularly work in Adobe apps and want faster control over timelines, layers, and adjustments. It also suits users who value dials and tactile navigation more than a large grid of buttons. If you mainly want the cheapest way to add macros, or if you need maximum key count, look at the Stream Deck MK.2 White or the XL instead. Casual users who only need occasional shortcuts will probably not use enough of its features to justify the £207.79 price.
Our Review
Is the Elgato Stream Deck + White worth buying? Yeah, if you want a premium workflow controller and can justify the price tag; not really, if you’re after the best value per button. At £207.79, you’re getting a polished, focused tool for post-production, but it’s currently 11.4% above the average of £186.50—so timing your purchase actually matters.
First impressions
The Stream Deck + White targets creators who want fast, direct control over editing tasks without diving through endless menus.
Its layout isn’t flashy, but it’s practical: 8 LCD keys, 4 dials, and a touch strip. You get a mix of one-tap actions and hands-on adjustment.
That’s especially handy for editing, retouching, and colour work, where scrubbing timelines or tweaking layers and volume happens all the time.
What does it do well?
Workflow automation is where this thing shines. Elgato pitches it as a creative workflow tool for streamlining editing, retouching, and colour grading, and honestly, the features back that up.
The LCD keys are perfect for launching shortcuts or macros, while the 4 dials let you scrub timelines or tweak parameters in a way that just feels better than clicking around.
The touch strip adds smoother navigation across tool panels and workspace pages. That’s surprisingly useful when you’re bouncing between different parts of an app.
It supports Adobe Premiere Pro, Photoshop, After Effects, and Lightroom—so if you’re deep in the Adobe ecosystem, it’s a natural fit.
Elgato also calls it studio-ready for video editors, designers, and music producers. That broader audience is a plus, since the hardware flexes to different workflows instead of boxing you into one.
How does it perform in real use?
Looking at the product design and reviews, buyers seem happy: it holds a 4.5/5 rating from 4,120 reviews.
Most users actually find the controller useful once they get it set up. The combo of keys, dials, and touch strip is just more versatile than a basic macro pad, and that’s really what you’re paying for here.
The biggest performance edge is speed. If your work means you’re always switching tools, adjusting settings, jumping through timelines, or triggering app shortcuts, this controller cuts down on the grind and saves time.
The dials, in particular, are a real upgrade over simpler Stream Deck models—they give you precision control, not just another row of buttons.
Build quality and design
Elgato tends to go for a clean, desk-friendly look, and the White version fits right in with that studio vibe.
It’s obviously made for folks who spend long hours at their desk and want something that feels more intentional than a generic keypad.
There are 2 available variations, so at least you get some choice in colour or setup.
Is it good value for money?
Value’s a tricky one. The Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 White is £127.78 with 15 macro keys and a 4.7★ rating—so if you just want lots of buttons, that’s the better deal.
If you’re after pure shortcut capacity, the MK.2 White wins hands down.
But then there’s the Elgato Stream Deck XL at £229.99, with 32 macro keys and a 4.8★ rating. That puts the Stream Deck + White in this weird middle spot: you pay more than the MK.2 but get way fewer keys than the XL.
Still, the Stream Deck + White isn’t necessarily overpriced for everyone. Those dials and the touch strip give it a different edge—it’s less about how many keys you have, more about the hands-on control.
At £207.79, though, you really need to want that dial-based workflow before dropping the cash.
What should buyers watch out for?
The price is the big one. With a recorded low of £139.19 and a current price of £207.79, you’re not getting a bargain here.
Another thing: its usefulness depends on your software workflow. If you don’t spend much time in Premiere Pro, Photoshop, After Effects, Lightroom, or similar tools, you might not get much out of it.
If you just want lots of programmable keys, the Stream Deck XL is the more efficient pick.
Bottom line versus alternatives
When you stack it up against the Stream Deck MK.2 White, this model swaps out some keys for dials and a touch strip.
If you look at the Stream Deck XL, you'll notice this one comes in smaller and with fewer buttons, but it's also a bit cheaper than the XL’s £229.99 price tag.
If you’re after a controller that leans more toward a precision studio vibe instead of just a panel of buttons, the Stream Deck + White feels like the obvious pick.
But if you’re chasing pure shortcut capacity for your money, honestly, the MK.2 White wins out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Elgato worth buying in 2026?
Yes, if you use Adobe Premiere Pro, Photoshop, After Effects, or Lightroom and want a dedicated workflow controller. Its **4.5/5 rating from 4,120 reviews** shows strong satisfaction, but at **£207.79** it is not the cheapest option and sits **11.4% above the average price of £186.50**. If you want the best value for pure shortcut capacity, the **£127.78 Stream Deck MK.2 White** or the **£229.99 Stream Deck XL** may fit better.
What do the 8 LCD keys, 4 dials, and touch strip actually add?
They add a mix of one-tap automation and hands-on control. The **8 LCD keys** are for launching shortcuts, the **4 dials** help scrub timelines or tweak settings like volume and layers, and the **touch strip** makes it easier to move through tool panels and workspace pages.
How does this compare to the Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 White?
The **Stream Deck MK.2 White** costs **£127.78**, has **15 macro keys**, and is rated **4.7★**, so it is the better value if you want more buttons for less money. The Stream Deck + White costs **£207.79** but adds **4 dials** and a **touch strip**, so it is better for tactile editing control rather than maximum key count.
What are the main complaints about this product?
The biggest complaints are price and value, especially because the current **£207.79** price is above the **£186.50** average and far above the **£139.19** lowest recorded price. Some buyers also want more keys for the money, which is why the **Stream Deck XL** and **MK.2 White** often look more attractive for shortcut-heavy users.
Is it good for non-editors?
It can work for anyone who benefits from macros and quick controls, but it is most useful for people who spend a lot of time in creative software. If you are not regularly editing video, retouching images, or producing audio, you may not use enough of its features to justify the price.
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Curated by MakeMoneyAs on All The Top Picks · Updated April 2026
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