We’ve been massive followers of the Elgato Stream Deck ever since its first incarnation. It’s a neatly executed system for controlling all types of points of your gaming, streaming, or work PC setup, and as we speak it simply bought much more succesful, or at the least the Stream Deck + model did. That’s because of the announcement of two new equipment, the Stream Deck + XLR Dock and USB Hub.
As these imaginative names subtly indicate, these two Elgato equipment respectively present an XLR enter for a microphone (together with a headphone output) and a number of additional USB ports. They simply slot into the again of the most effective stream deck you should buy proper now, and immediately present it with masses extra connection options.
There’s one instantly apparent draw back to the 2 new items, although, which is that you may solely plug in a single or the opposite. You possibly can both have a number of USB plugs, or the audio connections, however not each – can anybody else see an XLR Hub showing within the not-too-distant future?
Trying extra carefully on the XLR Dock, it primarily offers many of the options discovered on Elgato’s Wave XLR interface. That standalone unit offers an XLR enter, headphone output, USB-C connection on your PC, after which there’s a giant dial on the entrance, together with some LEDs, that you should utilize to manage headphone quantity, microphone quantity, and the way a lot of the microphone you hear by your headphones.
The XLR Dock lacks the massive dial on the entrance, however this function can as a substitute be replicated through varied programmable buttons and dials that the Stream Deck + affords.
As for the USB Hub, this add-on offers two USB-A ports and 4 USB-C sockets. Nevertheless, as is so typically the case with USB-C ports nowadays, the setup right here is barely extra difficult than it first seems.
Two of the USB-C sockets are simply commonplace USB 3.0 5Gbps ports that may present 7.5W of energy (the identical because the bigger USB-A ports), however the different two have particular functions. One is the information uplink that you simply’ll hook up with your PC, whereas the opposite is a devoted energy port that can be utilized to attach as much as a 100W USB-C energy provide for a laptop computer. It undoubtedly seems like Elgato might have organized the ports a little bit higher so you can simply inform which port is which from the entrance.
A neat little additional with the USB Hub is that it additionally offers SD and microSD slots for simply plugging in your cellphone/digicam/Steam Deck storage playing cards.
The XLR Dock and USB Hub are that can be purchased now, with each objects already out there on Corsair’s web site. The XLR Dock worth is a hefty $119.99 however that is cheaper than the $159.99 Wave XLR. In the meantime, the USB Hub prices $59.99, making it a extra inexpensive improve.
For extra desk and audio upgrades, take a look at our greatest gaming microphone and finest gaming mouse pad guides.
