Stream Deck + Live Subtitles
Every button on your Stream Deck.
Now one of them runs subtitles.
Elgato Stream Deck gives you one-touch control over your entire stream. StreamTranslate gives you real-time captions and translation in 30+ languages. The two work together naturally — OBS's Stream Deck integration lets you show, hide, and switch your caption layer without touching a keyboard.
No downloads. No API keys. Works with any browser source compatible software.
The Short Answer
StreamTranslate is a browser source layer in OBS. Stream Deck controls OBS via the official plugin. Assign a Stream Deck button to show/hide the StreamTranslate source, or trigger scene transitions that include or exclude captions. You get hardware-button control over your subtitle overlay without any extra configuration.
ℹ What Stream Deck Controls (and What StreamTranslate Adds)
Elgato Stream Deck is a macro controller. Each button sends a command — to OBS, to your PC, to any connected application. It does not generate audio, do speech recognition, or produce captions. StreamTranslate handles that. The combination gives you the best of both: effortless caption control via physical buttons, with zero latency speech-to-text running in the background.
How to Control StreamTranslate from Stream Deck
Setup — about 2 minutes
- Go to streamtranslate.live and create your overlay. Copy the overlay URL.
- In OBS, add a Browser Source layer with your StreamTranslate URL. Name it clearly (e.g. "ST Captions").
- Install the OBS Stream Deck plugin if not already installed (free, from Stream Deck marketplace).
- On your Stream Deck, add an OBS — Source Visibility Toggle button. Select your "ST Captions" source.
- Press the button to show or hide captions live — without touching your keyboard or mouse.
What You Get With Stream Deck + StreamTranslate
| Action | Without StreamTranslate | With StreamTranslate + Stream Deck |
|---|
| Toggle captions on/off | Not possible | ✓ One button press |
| Live speech captions | Not possible | ✓ Real-time, word-by-word |
| Real-time translation | Not possible | ✓ 30+ languages |
| Hardware button control | — | ✓ Via OBS plugin |
| Conflicts with Stream Deck setup | — | None — separate OBS source |
Common Questions
Which Stream Deck models work?
All of them — Stream Deck Mini, MK.2, XL, Pedal, and the newer Plus and Neo models. The OBS plugin works on all hardware. Any model with OBS integration can control StreamTranslate visibility.
Can I switch translation languages from Stream Deck?
You can use Stream Deck's URL launch action to open different StreamTranslate control pages or room configurations. Switching languages mid-stream via a single button is possible with advanced Stream Deck profiles, though the simplest workflow is toggling the overlay on and off.
Do I need the Stream Deck OBS plugin?
The OBS plugin (free, from the Stream Deck marketplace) is the easiest path for source visibility toggling. Alternatively, you can use Stream Deck's hotkey action to trigger OBS hotkeys that show/hide sources — this works without the plugin.
Does StreamTranslate work without a Stream Deck?
Yes. Stream Deck is optional. StreamTranslate works as a standalone browser source in any streaming software. Stream Deck just adds convenient hardware button control on top.
Ready to Add One-Touch Subtitles to Your Stream Deck Setup?
Takes 60 seconds. No downloads, no API keys, no configuration beyond pasting a URL.