Elgato Stream Deck Neo Review
A compact eight‑key macro pad that shaves clicks from hybrid work — £99.98, best for meeting-heavy knowledge workers.
Shortlistd Editorial
Editor
Elgato Stream Deck Neo Review
Single verdict — The Neo is a compact, software‑rich eight‑key macro pad that earns its place on busy hybrid desks for £99.98 (score: 8.1/10): buy it if you want drag‑and‑drop shortcuts for Teams, Zoom, Office and Adobe without scripting; skip it if you need dozens of always‑visible keys or a detachable cable.
The quick answer
If you spend hours switching between meetings, spreadsheets and creative apps, the Neo turns repetitive clicks into one‑tap actions and is worth £99.98 for most knowledge workers. It’s small, fast to set up and works out of the box with official plugins for Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Office and Adobe apps.
What we tested
We evaluated the Stream Deck Neo (black) for 30 days on a hybrid working setup — Windows 11 desktop and a MacBook running macOS Monterey — using it to control calls, launch Office macros, and trigger Adobe and Spotify actions during daily work sessions.
What it does well
Customisable keys — Eight LCD keys with multi‑page layouts let you pack many actions into a tiny device, and the on‑screen icons make it obvious what each button does.
Touch controls — Two capacitive touch points add fast page switching and gesture triggers without costing a key, so you can cycle profiles or perform layered actions quicker than on basic macro pads.
Software integrations — Official Stream Deck plugins for Zoom, Teams, PowerPoint, Excel, Word, Adobe apps and Spotify mean drag‑and‑drop setup instead of learning scripting; that’s real time saved on day one.
Platform support — Works with Windows 10 (64‑bit) and macOS Monterey or later, so it plugs straight into modern Windows and Mac setups without driver wrestling.
Sustainable packaging — Zero‑plastic packaging is a small but meaningful win if you care about buying less single‑use packaging than most accessories ship with.
Where it falls short
Too few physical keys for power users — Eight keys are fine for everyday meeting and media shortcuts, but anyone who needs dozens of persistent macros (streamers, complex editors) will find themselves flipping pages constantly; those buyers should look at 15‑ or 32‑key Stream Decks.
Fixed 90 cm USB‑C cable limits desk flexibility — The non‑detachable cable is tidy for a laptop, but it’s not ideal if you need a longer run, want to route through a desk grommet, or prefer to swap a higher‑quality lead.
Compact but not ultra‑light — At roughly 210 g the Neo is portable, but it’s heavier than the smallest mechanical macro pads and won’t replace a full control surface for tactile mixing tasks.
How it compares
Closest competitor: Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 (15 keys, typically ~£115). Choose the Neo if you want a compact, cheaper option that focuses on meeting automation and everyday app shortcuts; choose the 15‑key MK.2 if you need more always‑visible keys and fewer page flips for streaming or heavy macro use.
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