Razer Stream Controller X
The Razer streaming lineup has slowly but surely grown over the last couple of years. To complement the likes of the Key Light Chroma and wireless Seiren BT mic there’s now a new member of the family, the Razer Stream Controller X. A $149.99/£149.99 macro pad to help you get more done, on and off stream.
This isn’t a debut though, Razer has experience in the genre, albeit with more than a little help. In 2022 Razer made the surprise release of the Stream Controller. That was nothing more than a Razer logo on a Loupedeck Live however, for the first time the X is Razer’s own doing.
design
You know what they say, if it looks like a Stream Deck and it works like a Stream Deck, chances are it’s a Stream Deck. Except here, where it’s a Stream Controller X.
Razer has taken more than a little inspiration from Elgato’s iconic peripheral and the similarities between the two are hardly subtle. You almost have to respect the audacity of it, not only are Razer looking to jump in the ring with Mike Tyson – they’ve turned up to the weigh in with the same face tattoo.
Just like Elgato’s approach, you’ll find a grid of 15 physical keys across three rows, each offering its own customisable LCD screen ready to be programmed.
Thanks to smaller bezels on each side the Razer Stream Controller X runs a little smaller than a Stream Deck, though the rounded square keys themselves are the same size across both at 16mm. I can’t find published specs to back this up, but the resolution of each key looks noticeably better on the Stream Controller X than the Elgato equivalent. The backlight is more than enough for even totally dark gaming rooms and it helps push forward colours that are crisp and saturated.
Razer has gone with an all plastic construction for the Stream Controller X and while it feels premium enough, a metal faceplate would have been welcome. In fairness Elgato ditched the metal too for MK2 of the Stream Deck so it’s not a surprise here or something to be marked down for. The included plain black plastic faceplate is magnetically attached and easily pops off which hints at customisable options, there’s nothing on the Razer store yet but I’d guess it’s only a matter of time.
The most impressive element of the Razer Stream Controller X for me was just how secure and stable it was on the included stand. Compared to the flimsy plastic bar of the original Stream Controller, this one is solid and hefty and actually fitting of a premium level device like this. It’s a fixed viewing angle but felt just right for me, the buttons are still clear off axis anyway so there’s a margin of error available. The Stream Controller X also quickly pops off with a satisfying magnetic click, allowing it to lay (nearly) flat on your desk.
Razer has left nothing to chance with the X sliding around, the base is one giant rubber pad that does an almost magical job at keeping the Stream Controller X in place. I don’t know what it’s made of but I actually had to check to make sure it was just friction and not actually stuck to my desk. No matter how I attacked it, even from off centre or pushing the top bezel back, the X never budged. It even takes a specific effort to pick it up to move, great stuff Razer.
performance
The MK1 Elgato Stream Deck has held a spot in my setup for more than five years so using a peripheral like this is second nature for me at this point. I swapped out my Stream Deck for the Stream Controller X and tried to mirror the experience. I put it through its paces primarily as a tool for Twitch streaming, switching scenes and triggering overlay elements but also some general PC tasks and editing too.
The Razer Stream Controller X is still powered by Loupedeck’s software behind the scenes, just like the Stream Controller. I don’t find it as simple to use as Elgato’s solution, it’s far more to take in and the learning curve is certainly steeper. It doesn’t feel as refined to get where I need to go, though this did become more natural over time. Part of this will be my familiarity with Elgato’s hub but in 2023 there’s no excuse for a clunky UI.
All the expected integrations with the likes of OBS and Twitch are available out of the box but where Loupedeck’s marketplace is particularly strong is native integrations with apps like Photoshop and Premiere Pro, perfect for content creators with heavy editing workloads. These are a notable absentee from Elgato’s store so a real win for Razer to have them available here.
The X comes preloaded with a couple of basic pages and integrations also often carry their own defaults which is a nice touch, even if you just use it as a jumping off point to tailor it to your setup. If you’re looking at the Stream Controller X as you’re deep in the Razer ecosystem already you’ll find better integration here with Synapse and other Razer devices than what’s on offer via a Stream Deck, inversely though there’s no way to control Elgato products, for obvious reasons.
I mentioned earlier the Stream Controller X offers 15 customisable buttons. That was a bit of a porky. While in theory you have 15, in reality it’s 13 or 14 a majority of the time as the bottom left and right buttons are allocated to navigation. I don’t get it. Why Razer? Devices like this are fuelled by customisation so a system that actively limits that is a bizarre choice. It’s entirely unnecessary too, give me the option of navigation buttons and let me stick them where I want in the grid, don’t force me, that’s not very nice.
The software is the major snag here because from a hardware perspective, the Razer Stream Controller X performs well and practically in-line with it’s long lost Elgato cousin. The physical switchblade buttons deliver a pleasantly tactile bump when pressed that allows for no look interaction, an improvement over the touch sensitive Stream Controller that demanded precision and attention. These worked well for the most part but under more strenuous testing I did find the Stream Controller X suffered from occasional missed presses.
Trying to diagnose the issue it seemed to come down to the connection between physical movement and actual button presses. There’s a certain amount of rock to the clear button caps, allowing you to feel that click with only one side of the button actually pushing down. On most occasions this still triggered the action but in some instances I felt the same bump with no result. This was more noticeably an issue when trying to press multiple buttons in quick succession though, so it may be more of a hangup on the software side or simply the device not keeping up with the inputs.
summed up
It has a couple of flaws under pressure, but overall the Razer Stream Controller X is strong. In fact, if the Elgato Stream Deck wasn’t already so established and this didn’t run so closely to it I think I’d feel better about Razer’s attempt. From a purely hardware standpoint it stands up, with a high build quality and super steady stand but once again it’s that less friendly Loupedeck software that fails to impress.
That said, if you’re already deep in the Razer ecosystem and want something to tie it all together, the Stream Controller X up to the job and will prove a nice addition to any setup. If the question is ‘should I get a Stream Deck or the Razer Stream Controller X?’ however, I’d go with Elgato for now, it’s close though.
