Logitech acquires Finnish company Loupedeck to bolster presence in streaming market

Logitech has confirmed its acquisition of Finnish company Loupedeck, known for its popular editing console used by streamers and creative professionals. The move is a part of Logitech's strategy to expand its presence in the streaming market and compete with rivals like Elgato.

Loupedeck, originally known for its Adobe Lightroom editor, has pivoted towards developing advanced consoles for creative professionals. Products like Loupedeck Live and Loupedeck Live S pose a direct competition to Elgato's Stream Deck. Loupedeck's hardware and software combination has been licensed by Razer for its Stream Controller. The acquisition is in line with Logitech's strategy of buying gaming-related accessory manufacturers, with previous purchases including Mevo, Blue Microphones, and Astro. Logitech aims to leverage Loupedeck's strong developer community and its hardware-software integration skills.

Following the acquisition, Loupedeck will continue to support its existing customers and its business operations will remain unchanged. It is not yet clear how Loupedeck will be rebranded under Logitech. However, it is expected that Loupedeck will be incorporated into the Logitech G brand. The collaboration between Logitech and Loupedeck is intended to offer a more efficient experience for creators, possibly including specialized presets and improved integration with Streamlabs, to enhance the user experience.

Our take: I have been using an Elgato Stream Deck for years, although primarily for productivity rather than streaming. Loupedeck has always been an interesting alternative to Elgato, precisely because it is more geared towards creative work and productivity and not just for streamers. However, its high price (even compared to Elgato) has always been a hindrance for the company's devices to compete on the same level. Perhaps now is the opportunity for Logitech to bring the company to a wider audience, although it's possible that their focus may shift more towards gaming/streaming because of this. We shall see.