Elgato has an attractive new Neo range for content creators & streamers
by William Gallagher · AppleInsiderElgato has released a range of new products that aim to improve video calls, assist streamers or podcasters, make Mac users more productive, and do it with style.
When Elgato released a teleprompter, the Elgato Prompter, in December 2023, it was actually game-changing. It was the first time that such a degree of functionality, and such a degree of build quality, came within the budget of non-professional users.
Now the company wants to do the same thing for a much wider range of customers, and doing so by announcing five products in a range called Neo. None appear to be entirely new, and instead are redesigned or reworked versions of existing Elgato devices.
All five, though, have replaced Elgato's familiar black design in favor of a shiny white one. They've also worked to make each device as simple to use as possible.
So while it's hard to make fully direct comparisons until all of the New range is available, Elgato has already been selling a microphone called a Wave 3 for $150. This comes with a series of lights indicating function and volume, and they center on a physical, round knob.
The equivalent in the new range is the Wave Neo, which costs $90. There are still volume lights but they've been moved aside and the main control is a vertical touch panel.
Similarly, the new Neo Facecam (no price announced yet) appears to closely resemble the company's Facecam ($130). But while it's the same 1080p resolution and 60 frames per second, the Neo version adds a privacy switch.
Just as with webcams such as the Logitech MX Brio, it has a kind of shutter that lets users block the camera when not in use. On the Facecam Neo, the shutter is controlled by a physical slider on top of the unit.
That's actually clearer than the Logitech one because its closed or open position can be seen more readily.
Speaking of seeing things more clearly, the new range includes a Key Light Neo ($90). Elgato already offers four key or ring light products, but this one comes in a new form of mount.
Stood on a desk, the Key Light Neo opens up like a woman's old-fashioned compact. The stand and folding mechanism also lets it be perched atop a MacBook Pro or iMac screen.
Productivity and gaming
Elgato's long-standing Stream Deck products were originally aimed at gamers, and specifically ones who do live streaming. Whether Elgato expected this or not, the Stream Deck has proved so much and so good a general productivity tool that its gaming background could be forgotten.
And Elgato appears to have forgotten it too. The chief examples of the use of this new Stream Deck Neo ($100) show it being used in work and messaging instead of with games or live streaming.
Stream Deck Neo offers eight customizable buttons, plus a seemingly permanent clock, and also a quick-flick control for switching between different sets of custom buttons.
It's very similar to the existing Stream Deck mini ($60) in form, except that has only six buttons. There is a Stream Deck+ with eight buttons, but that also includes a touch strip like Apple's old Touch Bar, and four physical knobs, for $200.
You can use it for anything from launching apps to controlling live streaming, but in this new Neo range, there is just one product that Elgato firmly positions for gamers.
It's the Game Capture Neo ($119). This is a device that, similar to Elgato's $180 HD60 X, can capture the output from a games console and send it to a monitor, or an iPad, for playing, or for streaming.
One range, different audiences
A gamer who livestreams is likely to be sufficiently technical that they don't need simplicity. But as a way to get people into streaming, the Game Capture Neo could be a good start.
Arguably the whole Neo range could be said to be an introductory one. There are better cameras, for instance, better Stream Decks, and more lights.
But this doesn't feel like a way to rebadge existing devices and sell them cheaper. It also doesn't feel like an attempt to sell one whole range to customers, as there seems too broad a range between game streaming and video conferencing.
What this appears to be is a way to introduce new users to, for instance, improved video conferencing. It appears to be a way to do that by hiding some complexity, and presenting simpler systems — at lower prices.
Elgato has announced the whole Neo range, and most are now available direct from the company. Elgato says that the Facecam Neo is coming soon, but there no details of date or pricing yet.