01.05.2023 
Over the last decade, streaming has turned from something curious to something that’s now mainstream. 🙂 As such, more and more specialized applications and devices have surfaced on the market. Such is the case with desktop controllers that aim to offer a faster and more handy way of launching apps and performing various actions on your PC without having to rely on keyboard shortcuts or switching between apps. Razer is present in this sector too, and one of their latest offerings is the Razer Stream Controller X. This is a new device that claims to be an excellent companion for computer streamers, gamers, and content creators. Let’s see if it lives up to the hype:
Razer Stream Controller X: Who is it good for?
The Razer Stream Controller X is an excellent choice for:
- Streamers who want easy access to all their tools
- Content creators such as photographers or videographers
- Anyone who fancies having a deck with all their favorite shortcuts
Pros and cons
These are the main positive aspects of the Razer Stream Controller X:
- 15 programmable buttons
- Bright, colorful, and high-resolution LCD screen behind every button
- Good build quality
- Magnetic 50-degree desk stand included
- Excellent software (Loupedeck) for customization
- Works out-of-the-box with all the popular streaming services and content-creating apps
The only significant downsides of the Razer Stream Controller X are:
- Its price is a bit high, at about 150 USD
- It’s not officially compatible with Linux operating systems
Verdict
The Razer Stream Controller X is an excellent addition to the desk of any streamer or content creator. It’s a versatile and highly customizable device that makes it easier to control and interact with your favorite apps and games. The fifteen programmable LCD buttons, that can be personalized with different icons, colors, and actions, are more than I personally need and probably plenty for professionals too. Besides, if you need more, you can create additional pages and profiles to accommodate all the actions you want. Although it’s a bit pricey, I think that the Razer Stream Controller X is a good choice for any streamer or content creator who’s looking to boost his or her productivity and wants to be able to do things faster and easier.
Unboxing the Razer Stream Controller X
The Razer Stream Controller X comes inside a relatively large cubic box featuring the company’s usual colors: green and black. On the front side, you get to see the deck and a few details about its main features. For more information, you can turn the box upside down, and you’ll find additional details about the device’s design and purpose.
The box of the Razer Stream Controller X
Inside the box, you find the Razer Stream Controller X, together with a detachable stand, a USB-A to USB-C cable, a Razer sticker, and the deck’s user manual, which also includes details about its warranty.
Unboxing the Razer Stream Controller X
Unboxing the Razer Stream Controller X is a straightforward and pleasing experience. You get everything you’d expect, and all the items inside the box are carefully and neatly packaged.
Design and hardware specifications
The Razer Stream Controller X is a wired controller that you connect to your computer using a USB cable. In a way, it’s a very simple device, although the personalizing options it offers are extensive. Physically though, it’s a deck with fifteen customizable LCD buttons based on membrane switches. It’s designed to sit on your desk, probably next to your keyboard, allowing you quick access to the actions, features, or apps you use most often. In other words, the Razer Stream Controller X is a box with shortcut buttons.
The Razer Stream Controller X is a deck with LCD buttons
You can place the Stream Controller X horizontally on your desk, or if you prefer, you can use its magnetic stand to position it at a 50-degree angle. The stand sits firmly on any plane surface thanks to its rubber base, and it has a rectangular hole on its back, allowing you to route the USB cable to your PC. Although it does its job, it seems to me that an additional 90-degree connector would’ve been a better choice for the USB cable you use to place the controller on its stand. As it is, the cable is bent a little too much, and that may hurt it in the long run.
The USB cable goes behind the Razer Stream Controller X
The controller weighs 146 grams, and its stand adds another 177 grams to the whole package. Size-wise, the deck has a length of 111 mm long, a width of 80.7 mm, and a thickness of 30 mm. Its USB cable is 2 meters long and is covered by a protective rubber coating.
There’s not much else to say about the Razer Stream Controller X in terms of design or hardware specifications. However, if you’d like to know more about its advertised features, you can visit its official webpage: Razer Stream Controller X.
Although it’s not a complicated device in terms of hardware or design, the Razer Stream Controller X looks good and feels robust.
Using the Razer Stream Controller X
The first thing I noticed about the Razer Stream Controller X is how simple and comfortable it feels using it. Its design is sleek, and the rubberized grip on the bottom of the stand keeps it rooted firmly on any desk. The LCD buttons are responsive and tactile, and their traveling length is not too long, nor too short.
The LCD buttons are responsive and bright
When I connected the Razer Stream Controller X to my Windows 11 computer, I thought the software would allow me to change the actions associated with each button and not much else. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find out just how versatile the Razer Stream Controller X actually is. It works with any computer running on Windows 10 or later, as well as with any Mac running macOS X 10.14 or newer, and it can enhance your work or gaming experience, especially if you’re into streaming or content creation.
Razer Stream Controller X works with Windows and macOS
The Razer Stream Controller X allows you to create your own profiles and macros for various games, applications, and scenarios, and you can assign them to different buttons. For all that, you need to install the Loupedeck software and, optionally, the Razer Synapse. With Loupedeck, you can configure each button on each profile page to get easy access to various streaming tools and integrations, like OBS, Twitch, YouTube, Discord, and Spotify. Furthermore, associating any application or action to a button couldn’t be easier: all you have to do is find the one you want in the predefined lists and drag and drop it onto the button of your choosing.
Razer Stream Controller X is configured with the Loupedeck software
I’m not a streamer, nor do I use apps for content creation like Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Premiere. If you’re this type of professional, the Razer Stream Controller X will probably help your productivity much more than it did for me.
In creative software, the deck’s buttons can be associated with all kinds of usual tools. I can only imagine how useful it can be to have a dedicated button for selecting a certain kind of brush in Photoshop or how much time a video transition button would save for a videographer. Similarly, pushing a button on the deck to turn the microphone on or off is probably quite handy for a streamer, right?
Razer Stream Controller X can be useful in many situations
However, even if I don’t fall into any of the two main categories of potential users for the Razer Stream Controller X, I still find it quite useful. I love having all the shortcuts I need close by, near my keyboard. Comfort and speed is a great combination in any situation, I believe.
Using the Razer Stream Controller X on my desk
Overall, I liked using the Razer Stream Controller X. It’s a great device for gamers who want to stream or professionals who create content. Once you’ve configured it to your liking, the Razer Stream Controller X becomes a comfortable and versatile device that can help you do many things faster and easier.
What’s your opinion about the Razer Stream Controller X?
That’s it for this review. What do you think about the Razer Stream Controller X? Are you interested in getting it, or are you looking for alternatives? What’s your favorite thing about this controller? Leave a comment below and share your perspective.
