Elgato Neo Series: A Complete Set-up For New Creators or Home Offices

As far as I have seen, no company has released a complete line of products all at once, allowing you to be fully broadcast-capable on day one. Companies have taken products that they have made separately and sold them as a combo after the fact, but until now, there has been no effort to create a complete ecosystem in one launch. Elgato, a pioneer in all things for content creators, has done it again with the Elgato Neo series . What’s most interesting about this move, though, is that it is not only a perfect starter set for any creator but also a total setup for a home office, and it is simple enough for either to use.

The Elgato Neo series is a collection of slightly scaled-back versions of some of the products that made them famous, including the Elgato Facecam Neo, Stream Deck Neo, Wave Neo, Key Light Neo and Game Capture Neo. All of the Neo products are designed to be one aesthetic that, for the most part, is prettier than their original versions. They are generally specced down, but that is not to say they are inferior products. Rather, they are no more than someone purchasing products at this level may need.

The Elgato Facecam Neo has a more rounded design for the webcam than their Facecam Mk. 2 or Facecam Pro, both of which have sharper lines. It comes with a slightly smaller sensor than the Facecam Mk. 2 and a slightly smaller field of view at 77 degrees, but still offers a 1080p/60fps resolution at a price where most webcams wouldn’t offer more than 30fps. The Facecam Neo sports a privacy shutter for its lens and a 1/4“ mount to attach either to its provided mount or anything else with the correctly sized screw. Quality-wise, it’s perfectly serviceable, particularly if you are well-lit.

• True HD image with smoother motion: Capture more detail in ultra-sharp 1080p video while moving naturally with less motion blur in 60 fps
• Seamless Plug-and-Play Functionality: Ready out of the box with no software setup required. Ultra versatile, it works on laptops, desktops, setups with extra monitors, and in the apps you love

Speaking of well-lit, that brings us to the Elgato Key Light Neo, a beautifully diffused and simple to use light with, unlike any other light Elgato offers , controls on the light itself which  are easy as pie. With buttons to turn the light on/off, change colour temperature and a dial to adjust brightness all on the front of the light for easy access.

“There are huge savings for a complete set, making the Elgato Neo line the best option for a complete beginner’s setup.”

Since it is a much smaller light than the original Elgato Key Light (or the Key Light Air, for that matter), having it too close to your face will be a little more spot-light-like than you want it to be. It is perfect as a head-on camera light to give you some nice, even lighting or as a fill light if you want to get into specific lighting design, but the Key Light Neo equals the excellence in quality that made its predecessors the standard among many setups.

The product with the least similarity in look to its original is the Elgato Wave Neo, their latest microphone and the first USB microphone to be released by the company since 2020. The clean pill design is gorgeous, and its single LED light/capacitive mute button is a beautiful highlight. The condenser microphone has a bit depth of 24 bits and up to 96kHz sample rate. With its raised mic stand and ability to mount to a mic arm, you can get the mic as close to your face as your specific needs dictate.

• Sound Pro: Minimize distortion often associated with built-in microphones or ear/headphone mics, ensuring clear and pristine audio quality
• Seamless integration: Ready out of the box with plug ‘n play functionality, and ultra versatile compatibility with laptops, iPads, PS5, iPhones, and more, all controlled effortlessly through the Stream Deck app

The foam pop filter is even replaceable with different coloured pop filters to better match your setup’s overall look. I’d say that, out of the whole Elgato Neo line, this is one of the products that is potentially a total improvement over its original.

The other device that I would call an improvement is the Stream Deck Neo. While it has fewer buttons than the original Stream Deck (although more than the Stream Deck Mini ) with only 8 buttons, the Stream Deck Neo includes capacitive page navigation buttons that let you easily work your way through your options.

Add to that the folder structure that you can create, and you can organize your way to near-unlimited button options. Also available on the Stream Deck Neo is a feature that exists on the Elgato Stream Deck + , but no other iteration of the device, is a beautiful, customizable display across the bottom. No part of the Stream Deck Neo feels like a cheaper version of the original.

“No part of the Stream Deck Neo feels like a cheaper version of the original.”

Lastly, we have the Elgato Game Capture Neo, a capture card which is in line with Elgato’s sleek, compact designs of the company’s external cards. With a status light on the front and well-organized I/O in the back of the device, the Capture Card Neo is capable of 1080p/60fps capture and 4K/60fps passthrough . It is even capable of connecting directly to an iPad for play and capture. The overall quality of the Game Capture Neo is on par with previous Elgato capture cards with similar specs, but it would be a lite version of most of their latest releases. It is also the most affordable capture card on offer from Elgato which contains a passthrough solution.

• Compact and powerful: Easily set up your gaming experience with premium Elgato Capture hardware, no larger than a smartphone, connecting your console, gaming screen, and computer or iPad effortlessly
• Seamless integration: Enjoy super compatibility with the ability to capture gameplay from PlayStation, Xbox, Switch, or any console, coupled with zero limitations such as no time constraints, watermarks, or subscriptions

The best part about all of these devices is that you have full access to Elgato’s software solutions, giving you the best control over your devices possible. The same Stream Deck App, Camera Hub, Wavelink Software, Control Center, and Capture Utility that are available to their highest-end products are available for the Elgato Neo series. So if you buy a Stream Deck Neo and then, some time down the road, decide to upgrade to a Stream Deck +, you already know the software and the transition will be seamless.

“The Elgato Neo Series also has the same level of connectivity to each other as is expected of all true ecosystems.”

The Elgato Neo series also has the same level of connectivity to each other as is expected of all true ecosystems. Your Stream Deck Neo, via the Stream Deck app, comes ready with controls for all of the other apps listed above. You can control your camera, microphone lights and capture card all from one place, and because they are built for each other, it will be a seamless operation. Nobody has come close to Elgato in terms of creating an ecosystem for creators and creating this simplified, more affordable version of a complete setup with the Elgato Neo lineup; it has become more accessible than ever before.

Looking at prices, the Elgato Facecam Neo is $99.99 USD compared to the Facecam Mk. 2’s MSRP of $149.95 , the Wave Neo is $84.99 compared to the $199.99 price tag on the Wave 3 . The Stream Deck Neo comes in at $99.99, between the Stream Deck Mini’s $59.99 and Stream Deck Mk. 2’s $149.99 . The Elgato Key Light Neo is $89.99, whereas the comparable Key Light Air is $129.99 . Finally, the Game Capture Neo is $119.99 , whereas the closest offer by Elgato, the HD60 X, is $174.20 . There are huge savings for a complete set, making the Elgato Neo line the best option for a complete beginner’s setup.

No matter what combination of products you get from the Elgato Neo line, you are getting solid products from a company that consistently delivers at a price point that few can beat. I’ve called this a beginner’s setup which, for a creator who may want to grow in the future, is true, but for people who stream for fun or anyone working from home, the Elgato Neo lineup is your one-stop shop.

• Son professionnel : limitez la distorsion souvent associée aux micros intégrés ou aux micros des casques et écouteurs, pour une qualité sonore impeccable.
• Intégration parfaite : prêt à l’emploi, avec fonctionnement plug-and-play et compatibilité ultra polyvalente avec les ordinateurs portables, iPad, PS5, iPhone et plus encore, tous contrôlables facilement via l’application Stream Deck.