Companion

Companion is somewhat of a specific tool. It can work with the Elgato Streamdeck for those who own it or simply emulate it for those who like to keep things as virtual as possible. It's dedicated to streamers who want to have specific functions tied to keys that control the actual process. That's all great, but is it really worth grabbing the keyboard to use with this software, or is the software itself enough?

The application itself is no more than a client tool that simply redirects you to a server containing the app gist. Once you get the "Running" status. You can leave the client minimized, as you can hide it. It's up to you. The interface can be launched by clicking the big "Launch GUI" button. Once the interface is loaded, things will make much more sense. A plethora of options will be at your disposal.

You can emulate the keyboard and assign different functions to each particular button. You can load layouts if you have any design or use the preset. The online service also has an intelligently integrated bug report system. Use it if you find any issues. We didn't at the time of the testing. There's also a chat panel where you can probably exchange ideas about your layout or setup and even get help with achieving what you set out in the first place. On the plus side, not needing the stream deck itself shows that the developers were committed to offering a product that does not limit you.

Companion seems like a nice application, especially if you've got anything to do with the streaming world. It offers users a lot of choices, without complicating things too much. It works as an emulator and layout manager. It's light and could potentially ease some of the pain that streaming could cause at certain times.