The Logitech MX Creative Console Is a Stream Deck for Digital Artists

Most modern keyboards, even the smallest ones, come with at least 100 keys. But for streamers and digital artists, this often isn't enough. That's where the macro pad, popularized by the Elgato Stream Deck, comes in. These handy devices let you avoid keyboard shortcuts entirely, mapping commonly used actions that would usually require multiple clicks or button presses to a single button instead. The best ones include extra features like dials or buttons with screens for custom icons. Today, PC accessory maker Logitech is throwing its hat in the ring with the MX Creative Console, a macro pad aimed at professionals first, especially those that use Adobe products.

At first glance, the MX Creative Console looks like a slightly expanded Stream Deck Mini: It comes with nine full-color LCD keys at a $199 price point-a significant jump from the Mini's $59 (although that device only comes with six keys). But underneath those nine keys, you'll notice two dedicated page switching buttons, which let you scroll through dozens of actions without using up macro keys. More importantly, the box also has a separate physical dial with four physical buttons and an additional wheel.

That's a good amount of controls, although no amount of additions will change the fact that you can only have nine LCD keys active at a time, far fewer than the 32 on the Stream Deck XL, which also costs $199. Still, Logitech is hoping that its audience differs enough from Elgato's to set it apart. With the MX Creative Console, the company is first targeting digital artists, specifically those that use Adobe programs. While the Stream Deck can be used for creation, it is more often sold to streamers and gamers, and used to control aspects of a stream while it is live, or even give players more hotkeys for use in-game.

For creators and artists, the granular control that comes with a dial is often more helpful than having loads of hotkeys, since a dial can more easily control things like zoom or brush size. Because the Creative Console comes with one large dial and one small wheel, Logitech is hopeful it will serve these users well.

Maybe that's why the company has partnered with Adobe to pre-program various plugins for its applications, which auto-populate the Creative Console with convenient macros as soon as you open an Adobe program, and swap to a new set of macros when you switch to a different Adobe program. You also get three free months of Adobe Creative Cloud with your purchase, up from the two you get with a Stream Deck.

It's not a night-and-day difference, since various Stream Deck models have Adobe plugin support as well. The most obvious competitor here is the Stream Deck +, which is also $199 and has eight LCD buttons, a long rectangular touchscreen, and four small dials. Whether you'll prefer the Creative Console depends on whether size or quantity of your dials matters more to you.

Credit: Logitech

Outside of Adobe, users can also customize and share their own macros and icons using the device's software, which comes pre-loaded with plugins for a handful of non-Adobe apps, like Spotify or Zoom.

I got to toy around with the creative console a bit before release, and while I think the buttons are vibrant and the whole device has a luxurious feel, it's definitely not for everyone. My biggest complaint is probably that the dial isn't ratcheted, which feels fancy and makes large movements a bit easier to pull off, but also makes precise adjustments more difficult. The buttons on the macro pad also require a surprising amount of force to push, and the device itself has a confusing setup: The macro pad requires a wired USB-C connection, but the dial connects either through Bluetooth or a Logi Bolt connector. Frustratingly, there's no Logi Bolt connector in the box, so you'll either need to buy one separately for $15 or hope you already have one from another Logitech accessory.

Also frustrating is that Logitech is using the Creative Console to gate off its Actions Ring feature, which allows your mouse to access a number of macros by holding down a button and picking them off a radial menu. Right now, the only way to get access to the Actions Ring is by signing up for early access on the Logitech website, but Creative Console users get access to it right away. It does work with non-Logitech mice, but there's no reason for this feature to be tied to hardware. A Logitech representative told me the Actions Ring will be publicly downloadable next year, but if it's ready now, I don't see a reason to restrict its launch in such a specific way.

And that's really it. The MX Creative Console is a good piece of hardware, but highly specific and annoyingly stingy. I'd suggest holding off on it for a bit, at least until its software ecosystem is more populated. Stream Deck has years of community support, so it's a good idea to give Logitech some time to catch up.

The Logitech MX Creative Console launches online on Oct. 14, although the company says only B&H stores will carry it physically. It comes in two colors: white and black. Right now, the macro pad and the dial pad are only sold bundled together, although a Logitech representative told me the company might consider separate releases starting next year, which could help the device compete with Elgato's multiple Stream Deck models.