Elgato
Elgato is a Corsair-owned consumer technology brand focused on tools for livestreaming, gaming content creation, and digital productivity.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Elgato is a consumer technology brand whose products are aimed primarily at livestreamers, gaming creators, video producers, and increasingly general productivity users. Its portfolio includes capture devices, programmable control surfaces, microphones, lighting, green screens, and related creator hardware and software. The brand is especially associated with simplifying the technical workflow between a computer, a game console, a camera, a microphone, and online broadcasting platforms. The brand originated within Elgato Systems, a company founded in 2010 by Markus Fest and Stuart Smith. Elgato Systems initially developed products for Apple and connected-device users, including storage and docking hardware built around Thunderbolt. One of its early products was the Thunderbolt Drive, introduced in 2012. Although reviews found that the first generation did not always perform as well as expected in benchmarks, the Thunderbolt Drive+ introduced in 2013 added USB 3.0 support and was generally regarded as a substantial improvement. Elgato also released a Thunderbolt Dock in 2014, providing additional USB, audio, HDMI, and Ethernet connectivity for computers with limited ports. The company subsequently developed a stronger position in gaming and content creation. Its Game Capture HD, introduced in 2012, allowed users to record gameplay from consoles and other video sources. The product was created partly in response to users adapting Elgato's earlier television products for gameplay recording. The HD60 generation, launched in 2014, increased the target performance to 1080p at 60 frames per second, helping establish Elgato as a recognizable gaming-capture brand. Later products continued to target higher resolutions and refresh rates, including the 4K X capture card released in 2024. Elgato's most influential product family is Stream Deck. Introduced in 2017, the Stream Deck is a programmable control surface with LCD keys that can launch applications, trigger macros, control broadcast software, mute microphones, and perform multiple actions through a single press. The range expanded with the six-key Stream Deck Mini, the 32-key Stream Deck XL, a mobile application, the revised Stream Deck Mk.2, the foot-operated Stream Deck Pedal, and the eight-key Stream Deck Neo. This product line broadened the brand's identity beyond gaming hardware by making customizable automation accessible to streamers, editors, office users, and other computer-based professionals. Elgato has also built a creator-studio ecosystem. Its Key Light, Key Light Air, and Ring Light products provide adjustable illumination for cameras and livestreams, while its collapsible green screen is designed for background replacement and compositing. In 2020, the brand entered the microphone market with the Wave:1 and Wave:3 USB microphones, developed in partnership with Lewitt Audio. The Wave DX, introduced in 2022, extended the range into XLR microphones, and the Wave Neo joined the productivity-oriented Neo line in 2024. On June 28, 2018, Corsair acquired the Elgato brand and the gaming-related business from Elgato Systems. The remaining smart-home division stayed with the original company, which was renamed Eve Systems. Following the transaction, the Elgato operation became associated with Corsair GmbH, while Corsair used the brand to strengthen its position in streaming and creator hardware. Elgato remains positioned around accessible, integrated tools that reduce setup complexity and allow users to control, record, illuminate, and publish digital content from a unified workflow.
History
Elgato was developed by Elgato Systems, founded in 2010 by Markus Fest and Stuart Smith. The company initially operated in the connected-computing and Apple-oriented technology space, producing products designed to extend the capabilities of computers and digital media setups. The Elgato name is derived from the Spanish word for cat. One early area of activity was Thunderbolt hardware. In 2012, Elgato introduced the Thunderbolt Drive, an external solid-state storage product intended to use the high-speed Thunderbolt interface. Contemporary testing found that the first generation did not consistently deliver the expected performance advantage. Elgato revised the concept in 2013 with Thunderbolt Drive+, adding USB 3.0 connectivity and improving performance. The company continued its computer-connectivity efforts with a Thunderbolt Dock in 2014. The dock consolidated USB, audio, HDMI, and Ethernet connections, making it useful for computers with relatively few built-in ports. Elgato also entered gaming capture during this period. Game Capture HD was introduced in 2012 to record gameplay as it passed from a console to a television. The product addressed a growing market of players who wanted to publish recorded or livestreamed gameplay. The HD60, released in 2014, improved the format by targeting 1080p capture at 60 frames per second. This helped Elgato move from general digital accessories into a distinct gaming and creator-technology category. The company later concentrated on the creator workflow. Stream Deck, launched in 2017, used a grid of customizable LCD keys to let users control broadcast applications, launch software, activate macros, and manage microphones or scenes. The concept was expanded through the Stream Deck Mini, Stream Deck XL, Stream Deck mobile software, Stream Deck Mk.2, Stream Deck Pedal, and Stream Deck Neo. Rather than serving only as a gaming accessory, Stream Deck became a general-purpose programmable interface for livestreaming, editing, office automation, and other desktop tasks. Elgato broadened its studio portfolio with lighting, background, and audio products. Key Light and Key Light Air were designed for camera-facing creators, while Ring Light offered a circular lighting format with physical controls. The company's collapsible green screen addressed background replacement for video and livestream production. In 2020, Elgato launched the Wave:1 and Wave:3 USB microphones in cooperation with Lewitt Audio. The Wave DX followed in 2022 as an XLR model, giving the brand a stronger presence among users seeking traditional audio interfaces and microphone setups. A major corporate transition occurred on June 28, 2018, when Corsair acquired the Elgato brand and its gaming business. Elgato Systems retained its smart-home operations and changed its name to Eve Systems. The Elgato gaming and creator activities subsequently operated within the Corsair corporate structure, commonly associated with Corsair GmbH. This ownership aligned Elgato with Corsair's broader gaming-peripherals portfolio while preserving Elgato's distinctive creator-focused identity. In the 2020s, Elgato continued to update its core categories. The Stream Deck family gained new form factors, the microphone range expanded, and the 4K X capture card targeted high-resolution and high-refresh-rate production. The Neo line, introduced in 2024, presented selected products in a white design language intended to appeal to productivity users as well as creators. Elgato's development therefore moved from storage and computer connectivity to a broader ecosystem for capturing, controlling, illuminating, recording, and publishing digital content.
- 2024
4K X and Neo products launch
[1]Elgato releases the 4K X capture card and introduces the white Neo line, including Stream Deck Neo and Wave Neo.
- 2022
Stream Deck Pedal and Wave DX expand the range
[1]Elgato adds a three-button foot controller and its first XLR microphone.
- 2020
Wave microphones enter the portfolio
[1]Elgato launches the Wave:1 and Wave:3 USB microphones in partnership with Lewitt Audio.
- 2018
Corsair acquires Elgato's gaming business
[1]Corsair purchases the Elgato brand and gaming operations, while the former parent retains its smart-home division as Eve Systems.
- 2017
Original Stream Deck launches
[1]Elgato introduces a 15-key programmable control surface for livestreaming and desktop automation.
- 2014
Thunderbolt Dock and HD60 launch
[1]Elgato expands its computer-connectivity range and releases the HD60 capture device with 1080p60 recording.
- 2013
Thunderbolt Drive+ replaces the first generation
[1]The revised storage product adds USB 3.0 support and improves on the performance of the original Thunderbolt Drive.
- 2012
Thunderbolt Drive and Game Capture HD debut
[1]Elgato introduces Thunderbolt external solid-state drives and launches Game Capture HD for recording console gameplay.
- 2010
Elgato Systems is founded
[1]Markus Fest and Stuart Smith establish Elgato Systems, the company from which the Elgato brand develops.
Products and positioning
A creator-focused consumer technology brand combining accessible hardware and software for livestreaming, gaming content production, home studios, and programmable desktop productivity.
Programmable control surface · 2017
Stream Deck
Stream Deck is a family of desktop control devices with customizable LCD keys. Users can assign individual actions or multi-step macros to keys, including launching applications, switching livestream scenes, muting microphones, controlling lighting, and opening files. The family includes the original 15-key model, Stream Deck Mini, Stream Deck XL, Stream Deck Mk.2, Stream Deck Pedal, and Stream Deck Neo. Its software ecosystem makes the hardware useful for both content production and general desktop productivity.
Game capture · 2012
Game Capture HD and HD60
Elgato's Game Capture products connect between a gaming console or other video source and a display, capturing the signal for recording or livestreaming. Game Capture HD established the category for the brand in 2012. The HD60 generation followed in 2014 with support for 1080p video at 60 frames per second, improving the quality and smoothness available to gaming creators.
Game capture · 2024
4K X
The 4K X is a high-end capture card intended for modern gaming and video-production workflows. It supports 4K capture and frame rates up to 144 frames per second, positioning it as a higher-performance successor to earlier HD-oriented capture products. It is designed for creators who need to record or transmit high-resolution, high-refresh-rate gameplay while maintaining a separate display path.
Video lighting
Key Light and Key Light Air
Key Light and Key Light Air are rectangular LED lights designed for livestreaming, video calls, and camera-based content creation. The Key Light is the more powerful model, reaching up to 2,800 lumens, while Key Light Air is a smaller and less powerful alternative rated at up to 1,400 lumens. Both are controlled through software or connected devices rather than relying only on traditional physical switches.
Background and studio equipment
Green Screen
Elgato Green Screen is a retractable chroma-key background for creators who need to remove or replace their physical background in video. Its collapsible construction is intended to save space when not in use, while its large hanging format supports livestreaming, video recording, and virtual production in home or small studio environments.
Microphones · 2020
Wave microphones
The Wave family includes USB and XLR microphones for livestreaming, podcasting, gaming communication, and other creator applications. Wave:1 and Wave:3 were introduced in 2020 in cooperation with Lewitt Audio. Wave DX, released in 2022, brought an XLR format to the range, while Wave Neo later extended the line under Elgato's productivity-oriented Neo design family.
Computer peripherals · 2012
Thunderbolt Drive and Thunderbolt Dock
Elgato's earlier Thunderbolt products addressed storage and connectivity for computers equipped with Thunderbolt ports. Thunderbolt Drive provided external solid-state storage, while Thunderbolt Drive+ added USB 3.0 support and improved performance. The Thunderbolt Dock consolidated USB, audio, HDMI, and Ethernet connections, making it useful for laptops with limited built-in ports.
Brand decisions
2024
Expansion toward productivity with the Neo lineStrategyBackground
Elgato's programmable controls and creator peripherals also have uses outside gaming and livestreaming, including office and general desktop workflows.
Action taken
Elgato introduced the all-white Neo line, including Stream Deck Neo and Wave Neo products oriented toward productivity as well as content creation.
Aftermath
The line extended Elgato's positioning beyond dedicated gaming creators while retaining the brand's emphasis on software-controlled hardware.
2018
Transfer of the Elgato brand to CorsairM&ABackground
Elgato Systems had developed both gaming technology and smart-home products. The transaction separated those activities, allowing the original company to retain its smart-home division while Corsair took over the Elgato gaming brand.
Action taken
Corsair acquired the Elgato brand and gaming business on June 28, 2018. The retained smart-home business was renamed Eve Systems.
Aftermath
Elgato became part of Corsair's gaming and creator-hardware portfolio and continued developing capture, streaming-control, lighting, and audio products under the Elgato name.
2017
Launch of Stream DeckProduct launchBackground
Livestreamers needed a simple way to control broadcast software, applications, and recurring actions while appearing on camera or playing a game.
Action taken
Elgato launched a 15-key programmable control surface with customizable LCD labels and software-based actions.
Aftermath
Stream Deck became a defining Elgato product family and broadened the brand's appeal from gaming capture into creator workflow and productivity automation.
Recent events
- Unconfirmed
Elgato launches Wave Go convertible microphone[2]
Reported:
Elgato launched the Wave Go, a wireless microphone that can switch between clip-on and handheld use.
Elgato announces Stream Deck 5.0 update[3]
Reported:
Elgato announced Stream Deck 5.0, an app update introducing the Stream Deck Store, an online distribution platform for plugins, icon packs, tutorial videos and pro tips, along with royalty-free music and sound effects. The update was available as a free update on the announcement date.
- Unconfirmed
Corsair acquires Visuals by Impulse[4]
Reported:
Corsair confirmed that it acquired Visuals by Impulse, which would become part of the Elgato family and a product line within Elgato.
Elgato launches Wave:1 and Wave:3 microphones[5]
Reported:
Elgato announced and launched its first-ever microphones, Wave:1 and Wave:3, which work with the Wave Link app as digital mixing solutions. They were available immediately through Elgato and CORSAIR’s worldwide authorized retail and distribution network.
Sources7 sources
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