Razer Stream Controller Review – Practicality With A Price

Unboxing the Razer Stream Controller

Razer Stream Controller Review – Box

Starting off our Razer Stream Controller review with the unboxing, the streaming gadget comes in a packaging that’s slightly bigger than the ones from their line of gamepads. It’s still clad in your signature black and green colour scheme, and you have a bunch of product details listed around the box. Inside, you can find the following items:

Razer Stream Controller Review – Box content

• Product Documentations
• USB-A to USB-C cable
• Detachable stand
• The Razer Stream Controller itself

Specifications

The Good

Razer Stream Controller Review

There are a number of good reasons to consider getting the Razer Stream Controller. For starters, it’s a well constructed gadget with solid build quality. Nothing about it is flimsy or hollow, and you can be sure that it’s a product that will last a long time. The LCD screens vibrate when you press them, similar to haptic feedback on your smartphone touchscreen, which is a nice touch as an acknowledgment that you are trying to execute / view an action.

Furthermore, the design itself is well thought out, especially when you compare it to its obvious rival, the Elgato Stream Deck. For starters, it has 6 dials that can be mapped to specific actions when rotated or pressed, such as adjusting volume or acting as a horizontal slider in browsers or Adobe Premiere Pro. This doesn’t sacrifice the number of actions you can map as well as you have 12 SwitchBlade keys and 8 programmable buttons that can act as separate groups, easily giving you a maximum of 96 actions in a single profile. All of that have been packaged into a single, compact product.

Razer Stream Controller Review

As the SwitchBlade Keys are LCD displays on their own, you’re not limited to just using it as a convenient shortcut executer but also to view valuable information. For instance, I have the LibreHardwareMonitor application and plugin installed, so I can view how my PC is running directly on the Razer Stream Controller. This includes CPU temperature, bus speed, available RAM, and more. This is made possible thanks to the Loupedeck software, and the reason it’s not Razer Synapse is because the Razer Stream Controller is essentially a rebadged Loupedeck Live.

Razer Stream Controller Review – Loupedeck Marketplace

The software will allow you to customize it as you see fit and you can expand on its functions by downloading profiles and plugins in its respective Marketplace. Not to worry, the plugins are free and the only issue you would have is if you are looking for it to work with outdated or obscure software. With popular software like Adobe’s Creative Suite, Microsoft Office, and OBS Studio, it will allow you to execute practically any shortcut you can think of from the Razer Stream Controller itself. In fact, you can even start applications directly on the gadget itself, making it easier and time-saving for you.

Arguably the best implementation of it is that the Razer Stream Controller can detect when certain applications are running, and immediately change to a profile specifically for that app. Furthermore, it can quickly change from that specific profile to your standard profile just by minimizing said app, allowing for a more seamless experience. While it is a livestreaming gadget at heart, it’s clearly not limited to just that so practically everyone who frequently uses a PC can benefit from it. Future updates will add more plugins and support for other applications as well so if you can’t find one for what you frequently use, do not fret.

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The Bad

Razer Stream Controller Review – Loupedeck software

As good as the Razer Stream Controller is, it does have its drawbacks. For starters, while the Loupedeck software adds a whole lot more functionality to the Razer Stream Controller, it can be difficult to use for beginners. You would have to explore all the available options and actions for each application to really make full use of it, which can be overwhelming. On the plus side, the Loupedeck Marketplace does have profiles for a good number of apps, so you can get started with a whole bunch of preset actions without the need to tinker too much.

Next up, while the gadget itself has a very reassuring build quality, the detachable stand is not. It feels a little cheaply made and does seem rather wobbly when used. If that bothers you, you can always remove as it’s optional to use it. If you still need a stand anyway, you can always opt to get a better one online or 3D print one yourself.

Razer Stream Controller Review – USB-C port

Lastly, it’s a pricey bit of gear for sure. At RM1,329, it’s hard to consider getting one since its primary competitor is noticeably cheaper. However, if you’re looking for something that’s more than just for streaming and with added practical functions, this is certainly worth the higher price. Simply put, consider why you would need such a gadget, if the software meets your needs, and if you’d rather have one that meets a single use case or spend more for something that holds a lot more potential.

Razer Stream Controller Verdict

Razer Stream Controller Review

Plenty of streaming gear tend to be focused on one thing alone, which is livestreaming, making it pointless for the average person. That’s not the case with the Razer Stream Controller as it holds a lot of potential for general productivity as well, whether it’s creative or office work, unless you’re using very outdated or obscure applications. While it will definitely serve livestreamers well, it can also help PC users on both Mac and Windows immensely if you’re willing to take the time to learn and you can stomach its asking price.

At the end of our Razer Stream Controller review, we award this gadget with our coveted Gold Pokdeward.

Big thanks to Razer Asia Pacific for sending us this gadget for the purpose of this review.