New Arrivals: Elgato Stream Decks at Apex Sim Racing
A Brief Overview of Stream Decks
If you have been wanting to upgrade your sim rig, now is the right time! Elgato Stream Decks have officially landed at Apex Sim Racing, and they are ready to take your current setup to the next level. These powerful control surfaces put all of your race functions and stream commands at your fingertips, making it easier than ever to stay focused on the track while managing your surroundings.
Elgato Stream Decks are popular for their customizable LCD keys that give users quick, one-touch access to commands and apps. They have become a favorite among streamers and content creators for managing overlays, audio, and transitions. Sim racers are also discovering how powerful they can be on the track, transforming them into race decks in order to map pit stop adjustments, brake bias changes, black box navigation, and push-to-talk communication. Instead of relying on scattered keyboard shortcuts, everything is organized into a clean and visual interface that sits directly on the rig, allowing drivers to stay focused and react faster during competition.
Choosing the Right Deck for Your Rig
With so many new arrivals, selecting the best stream deck boils down to how much control you want at your fingertips and how complex your sim racing or streaming workflow is. The Elgato Stream Deck (Standard) comes with 15 LCD keys, which is more than enough for sim racers who want to map key functions like pit limiter, wipers, headlights, black box navigation, and push-to-talk without clutter. Its smaller footprint makes it a great choice for rigs with limited space.
Moreover, the Elgato Stream Deck Plus adds another layer of functionality. Alongside eight customizable keys, it includes four tactile rotary dials and a dynamic touchscreen strip. This design allows you to make fine adjustments on the fly, such as changing brake bias, tweaking fuel strategy, or managing audio levels during a livestream. The encoders give you physical feedback, making it easier to control without looking away from the screen.
For users who want maximum flexibility, the Elgato Stream Deck XL delivers 32 customizable LCD keys in an expansive 8×4 grid. This version is ideal for multitaskers who need quick access to a wide range of macros and overlays. Sim racers can dedicate full rows to pit commands, telemetry, camera controls, or even separate profiles for different cars and sims. The larger surface area also makes it a powerhouse for creators running complex streaming or production setups.
Apex Mounts and Stream Deck Bundles
Mounting matters just as much as the device itself. A stream deck performs best when it is positioned securely and within easy reach, which is why we created the Apex Stream Deck Mount lineup. Each mount is precision cut for the Standard, Plus, or XL models and built from genuine carbon fiber for maximum strength and durability. The result is a stable, no-flex solution that keeps your deck exactly where you need it.
For sim racers and content creators who desire a complete solution, we now offer stream deck bundles that pair Elgato hardware with Apex mounts, which are designed to fit perfectly. The mounts provide a stable, no-flex platform that integrates cleanly into a rig or desk, while the stream decks deliver customizable control for racing and production tasks. Bundling the two ensures compatibility and simplifies setup, giving users a professional and reliable configuration without the need for additional adjustments.
Practicality
Beyond streaming, you can modify these decks to race decks. By pairing an Elgato deck with an Apex enclosure, the unit essentially becomes a button box specifically for sim racing. The enclosure holds the hardware securely and adds additional inputs such as LED push buttons, rotary encoders, or even a multi-switch, depending on the configuration. This setup allows racers to combine the flexibility of software-driven controls with the tactile feel of physical hardware, turning a standard stream deck into a versatile race control system.
Sim racers often map rotary encoders to brake bias or traction control adjustments, assign LED push buttons to functions like pit limiter or headlights, and use the multi-switch for navigating black boxes or in-game menus. The visual icons on the LCD keys provide quick recognition, while the added hardware inputs give a tactile layer of control that improves response time during a race. This combination of digital flexibility and physical feedback creates a highly adaptable control system that can be tailored to any sim title or personal driving style.
Profiles and Customization
One of the biggest advantages of using a stream deck for sim racing is the ability to create multiple profiles. In iRacing, you might dedicate one profile to pit stop commands, black box navigation, and fuel strategies, while in Assetto Corsa Competizione, you could switch to a layout optimized for traction control, ABS settings, and camera adjustments.
Each profile can be saved and recalled instantly, making it easy to adapt the same hardware to different titles without reprogramming every key. Icons can also be customized with images or colors for quick recognition, which helps reduce mistakes during competitive sessions. This level of flexibility allows racers to fine-tune their control system to match their driving style, the car being used, and the demands of a specific league.
How to Transform a Stream Deck Into a Sim Racing Button Box
By installing an Elgato stream deck into a sim racing enclosure such as those from Apex, you can convert it into a functional race button box. The deck sits securely inside the mount and connects through USB, while the enclosure can add hardware inputs like LED push buttons, rotary encoders, or a multi-directional switch depending on the configuration. The LCD keys remain fully programmable to provide visual feedback and flexibility, while the additional hardware gives you tactile control that improves responsiveness during a race. A YouTube walkthrough from Chris Haye titled “Elgato Stream Deck - A Good Sim Racing Button Box?” shows this process in action and demonstrates how the integration combines software-driven versatility with the feel of physical controls. Watch the video here.
In the video, he shows how to repurpose an Elgato stream deck as a sim racing button box using the built-in software. Instead of just relying on standard keybinding, he demonstrates how easy it is to drag and drop hotkey functions onto the deck’s buttons, assign custom icons, and link them to in-game controls. He builds a test profile where the main page contains folders for different driving games, each with its own set of mapped functions. For example, in Assetto Corsa he assigns car controls, volume, and VR re-centering, while in iRacing, he configures the stream deck to manage black box functions. He also talks about the potential for car-specific profiles, like creating a dedicated folder for the Toyota LMP1 car with unique controls such as energy recovery and deployment.
Conclusion
With the right configuration and Apex enclosures, Elgato Stream Decks evolve into versatile race decks that give sim racers faster access to critical controls, clearer organization through customizable profiles, and the added precision of tactile buttons and rotary encoders. Paired with Apex mounts, the setup stays stable and integrated into your rig, making every session smoother and more immersive.
Whether you choose the compact standard model, the advanced plus, or the expansive XL, each deck brings a unique set of advantages that can transform both racing and content creation. For drivers and creators who want reliable hardware and customizable layouts, the new lineup of Elgato stream decks and Apex bundles provides a solution that is easy to set up and built to perform.
https://www.instagram.com/apexsimracing/?hl=en
