Elgato is a well-known accessory manufacturer that charges a lot for its products. But what if you want to save a few euros and go for the cheaper competition? MyMMO editor Benedikt Schlotmann has tested it and is not very impressed. The Stream Deck SE from the unknown manufacturer Soomfon turns out to be a flop.
Elgato is considered the most well-known manufacturer of accessories, which is why the company demands corresponding prices. However, there are now several well-known and unknown manufacturers alongside it.
I wanted to find out whether the cheap streaming devices from relatively unknown manufacturers are any good. I bought a device from the manufacturer “Soomfon” on Amazon as an alternative to the Stream Deck+. Both devices offer knobs and enough extra buttons for everyday use.
The Stream Deck+ is priced at 190 euros. In contrast, the price of the Soomfon device usually ranges from 60 to 70 euros and the product is often on sale.
Sounds like a fair deal at first. But after 10 days, I returned the device, as I was so disappointed.
Hardware is okay, but the software unfortunately not
My first impression: My first impression was actually positive. The hardware looks good, seems well-made, and fits well into my setup. The knobs are made of metal, while the rest is plastic. But I don’t really expect more for a price under 100 euros. However, the hardware is genuinely fine and initially gives a robust impression.
The major disappointment comes when I try to connect the device to the PC. Because the software is, to put it mildly, a disaster:
- The installation turns out to be uncomplicated and is completed quickly. The device is also recognized promptly.
- If you switch windows or settings within the software, the device freezes every time for several seconds. The window then turns white and Windows reports “not responding.” And really every time. Even a reinstallation doesn’t help much.
- Settings I make for the hardware are either not recognized or are extremely delayed on my device. In some cases, the only solution is to reset the device, but then all settings are lost again.
- The manufacturer apparently did not plan for uninstallation, because everything here is in Chinese. Laboriously, I click through the uninstallation process and hope that the software is actually uninstalled.
- The translation is also terrible: Whatever the provider might mean by
boot
in the settings is unclear.
You can also take a look at how the software looks in detail in the image gallery:
Set upfor settings (?) and
boot.
Theoretically, the Stream Deck from Soomfon offers a wide range of products that are officially supported. These include Discord, Twitch, and other important products. However, I never actually got that far.
| Preview | Product | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
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SOOMFON Stream Controller Deck SE, 6 anpassbare LCD Makrotasten & Drehreglern, auslösen von Aktion... | Zu Amazon |
*Affiliate-Links. Wir erhalten bei einem Kauf eine kleine Provision von Amazon. Vielen Dank für Eure Unterstützung!
Also frustrating: Officially, the device offers you 6 main surfaces, along with 3 small buttons and three knobs. However, the three small buttons are fixed and cannot be reprogrammed. And many buttons can only be assigned to very specific tasks.
Next time, it’s better to spend a few more euros
Can I recommend the device? No. After about 10 days of trying and numerous attempts to get the device running properly and without crashes, I lost all patience for it. In the end, I returned the device and got my 60 euros refunded from Amazon. The manufacturer might release an update next week that addresses all my criticisms, but it’s not worth it to me.
And there are plenty of these no-name products that all look similar but come from different manufacturers. Marsgaming, Ulanz, Yinker or whatever they are all called in the end. But theoretically, there are also plenty of expensive alternatives with Razer or Loupedeck if you don’t want to go for Elgato.
This is also an experience I repeatedly have with cheap hardware: The hardware itself is okay and stands up to the expensive competition. But with the software, it usually suffers significantly. While the learning curve for Elgato or Loupedeck is anything but simple, I can be sure that the software works.
There are also very cheap versions of other product lines. For example: In-ear headphones managed to convince me even in their cheaper versions from unknown manufacturers. You can read more about it directly on MeinMMO: I tested 9 in-ear headphones blindly – My secret tip is available for under 100 euros
