Joe SteinbringMy Stream Deck is dieing and I am not replacing it
Back in 2022, I paid $115 for a gently used Elgato Stream Deck. At the time, I was spending two to three hours a day in Zoom meetings (something that has changed significantly since), and I convinced myself that having physical controls within arm’s reach would be a real productivity boost. In theory, it made sense: quick access to mute, camera toggles, scene changes, maybe even a few custom shortcuts. In practice, it turned out not to be useful at all. I assumed I’d be able to embed my video and audio controls in it with minimal friction, but that proved far more frustrating than expected. I was deep in optimizing my work-from-home setup, and this was one of those purchases that felt smart at the moment but missed the mark entirely.
I honestly couldn’t tell you the last time I actually used it. About six months ago, the screens on the buttons started glitching – not catastrophically, just enough to be irritating every time I noticed. This would normally be the point where I’d start researching replacements, comparing models, and talking myself into another upgrade. Instead, I think I’m just going to let it die. When it finally gives up completely, I’ll dispose of it and move on. Not every piece of tech needs a replacement cycle, and this one never really earned its place on my desk in the first place.
#StreamDeck
Stephen Millard
amd
Random Host 🐕
Nielso
BeBo
Dentaku (Thomas Renger)
