Razer's Newest Gamer Gadget Is Like A Supercharged Stream Deck
Streaming consoles are useful for streamers who want to keep a variety of assignable buttons and controls at their side while busy playing a game or doing some other activity that would make it difficult to jump back and forth between software windows. The Elgato Stream Deck has been a staple for streamers for this reason, and it's generally the golden standard to which similar streaming devices are compared. However, there have been other useful devices over the years such as the RODECaster Pro II, which is more like an audio mixer but specifically geared to those running podcasts and stream-quality audio mixes.
Now, it looks like Razer is bringing in a totally new streaming console that mixes the customizable controls of the Elgato Stream Deck with some of the sensibilities of the RODECaster Pro and its successor, at least insofar as giving you the option to just buy one device that is easy to customize and still does a competent job of mixing audio. Though it might still be worth checking out the RODECaster (or the Razer Audio Mixer) if you're looking for even more control over your audio mix.
The Razer Stream Controller combines 12 haptic keys, six volume control knobs on both sides, and eight configurable buttons on the bottom of the console in a rallied effort with Loupedeck Software. The latter is developed by the creator of the Loupedeck lightroom control console, and it provides a wide array of plugins and icon packs to streamers looking to personalize a single, all-in-one device from the comfort of their Windows 10 PC or macOS X 10.14-compatible Mac.
The Razer Stream Controller doesn't cost too much more than the Elgato
The new aptly-named Razer Stream Controller looks much slicker than the former, opting to use digital haptic keys laid across an LCD screen rather than the standard 15 physical buttons Elgato users have come to expect from the Stream Deck and its follow-up, the refurbished Stream Deck MK.2. The latter is nice but doesn't hold a candle to the versatility afforded by Razer's onboard LCD screen and the wide variety of icons and plugins provided in Loupedeck. Given the versatility of the Razer Stream Controller, it could even provide more precision than the 32-key Stream Deck XL ... and that's before you break into the Razer Stream Controller's audio mixing features, which can plug and play directly into sources of audio such as your games, Spotify, or Voicemod.
Using the six assignable knob controls on the left and right sides of the console, it looks like you can balance the audio from each input signal before it gets pushed to Twitch, and that could also be a great way to balance a microphone if the gain levels are too overpowering, plus it could make video game audio sound less abrasive if a game happens to be poorly-mixed, which happens sometimes.
Razer promises a launch window around fall 2022 for its Stream Controller, though you can already sign up to be notified when the device becomes available for purchase from Razer's website. If you're partial to paying over time, it sounds like Affirm will be offering a $23-per-month payment plan over 12 months. You can currently check to see if you prequalify for a loan through Affirm from the Razer website. The new Razer product is priced at $270, which is a tad bit higher than Elgato's $150 price tag.