iPad like a computer. Many people have been waiting for this new product

StreamDeck is one of the most beloved computer accessories. Soon, the gadget from Elgato will be able to connect to the iPad.

Elgato is bringing its popular Stream Deck line of accessories to the iPad, encouraging developers to participate in the tests that are just starting. Stream Deck, which was previously available only to Mac and Windows users, is now available to a wider group of users: iPad owners. This is a big change, because StreamDeck is a typical desktop accessory that is associated with working at a desk, at your own (home) workstation, and a desktop experience. The iPad is not (yet?) such a computer.

What is StreamDeck?

For those who don’t know what a Stream Deck is, it’s an external accessory that offers users a set of hardware buttons. The least, three, are available on the Stream Deck pedal, and the most, 32, are on the Stream Deck XL. Each button, except for the pedal, is a small screen, which allows you to program different functions, shortcuts, and the like, and add icons or images to display on each button.

StreamDeck on iPad – how does it work?

Elgato has announced the launch of the Stream Deck Kit, an open SDK that allows developers to integrate support for Stream Deck into their apps. This means there is no public app yet, and the announcement is about an alpha version and an invitation for developers to participate in the project.

Stream Deck for iPad will work similarly to how it does on Mac, when connected to the USB-C port on M1 or later iPads. On Mac, the Elgato Stream Deck app runs in the background, but that’s not possible with iPadOS. That’s why Elgato plans for iPad apps to control Stream Deck. That means Stream Deck for iPad will have the ability to customize its buttons and functions to match the app you’re currently using.

It’s not yet clear what happens when a user isn’t in an app or when an app doesn’t support the new Stream Deck Kit API. Elgato says it will announce a public release sometime in 2024. For now, it’s published developer documentation and an early test build of the Stream Deck Connect iPad app on TestFlight.