Elgato

Lore & Background

The Elgato brand was created by Elgato Systems, a company founded in 2010 by Markus Fest and Stuart Smith, and was headquartered in Munich, Germany until 2018. The name 'Elgato' comes from the Spanish word for cat. The brand was used for the company's gaming and Thunderbolt devices and was commonly called Elgato Gaming. On June 28, 2018, Corsair acquired the Elgato brand, which became Corsair GmbH, while Elgato Systems kept its smart home division and renamed to Eve Systems.

Elgato's early products included Thunderbolt Drive external SSDs introduced in September 2012, which were later replaced by Thunderbolt Drive+ drives in 2013. A Thunderbolt docking station followed in June 2014. The company entered game capture with the Game Capture HD in 2012, created in response to gamers hacking EyeTV products for recording. Later capture cards included the HD 60 in October 2014 and the 4K X in February 2024.

The Stream Deck line began with the original 15-button model on March 23, 2017, followed by the Stream Deck Mini (July 24, 2018), Stream Deck XL and mobile app (May 28, 2019), Stream Deck Mk.2 (July 2021), Stream Deck Pedal (January 2022), and Stream Deck Neo (April 18, 2024). Elgato also produces green screens, video lights (Key Light, Key Light Air, Ring Light), microphones (Wave:1, Wave:3, Wave DX, Wave Neo), and a desk chair called the Elgato Embrace released in October 2025.

Reader's Guide

Elgato's significance lies in its role as a key supplier of hardware for video game live streaming and content creation. The Game Capture HD and its successors, particularly the HD 60 and 4K X, provided dedicated recording solutions for console gamers at a time when built-in console recording was limited. The Stream Deck product line, starting in 2017, introduced a customizable control pad that became widely adopted by streamers for managing scenes, audio, and other broadcast functions. The brand's expansion into microphones, lights, and green screens further solidified its ecosystem for streamers and remote workers. The acquisition by Corsair in 2018 integrated Elgato into a larger gaming peripherals portfolio while maintaining its distinct product identity. The Neo line, launched in 2024, marked a shift toward productivity-focused, all-white designs. Elgato's legacy is that of a brand that defined and dominated the niche of dedicated streaming hardware, evolving from a Thunderbolt accessory maker to a comprehensive provider of content creation tools.

Did You Know?

• The original Game Capture HD was created in response to gamers hacking EyeTV products for gameplay recording.
• The Stream Deck Neo, released in April 2024, features an infobar LCD screen that can display information like the time.
• Elgato's Wave:1 and Wave:3 microphones were developed in partnership with Lewitt Audio.