The streaming world has exploded in the last few years, and with it, a new category of hardware emerged – streaming hardware. The Stream Deck from Elgato has been extremely successful in this world thanks to its integration with various streaming platforms.

Now, Corsair has introduced a gaming keyboard with Elgato Stream Deck integration that is not only perfect for streaming your game (and other things) but also just plain old-fashioned gaming with the Galleon 100 SD.  It is no surprise that Corsair has done this, considering that Elgato is a subsidiary of Corsair.

Not only can the integrated Stream Deck be used for controlling your virtual Stream Deck, but it can also be customised for the game you are playing with macros, shortcuts and more.  

Design and build quality

The Corsair Galleon 100 SD is one of the more elegant and stylish gaming keyboards I have used.  Its housing and base are milled aluminium, which makes it a weighty keyboard, but it also means there is no flex when you’re hammering the keys.

The keys are double-shot keycaps for durability, and with the per-key RGB lighting, you can customise it to look even better.   Corsair has also included a light bar at the top of the keyboard, which is of limited use but still looks good.

The wired keyboard has two additional USB-C ports for those who want to take advantage of its passthrough capabilities.  There is also a premium magnetic wrist rest that connects to the bottom of the keyboard.  This is extremely comfortable, and something all gaming keyboards should include – and the magnetic functionality means that it won’t move while you are getting violent with your gaming.

The keys and switches can be changed to your preference if required, with standard 3- and 5-pin switches available.  I loved the switches in the keyboard, though, with the MLX Pulse Switch used by Galleon, a nice linear switch that is comfortable for not just gaming but also everyday use, such as productivity.  

As someone who normally uses a Logitech MX Keys mini as my productivity keyboard, I found I didn’t lose much accuracy or speed at all when using it, which is unusual compared to other gaming keyboards I have tried for productivity.

Steam Deck integration

As you may have suspected from the statements above, the main feature of the Corsair Galleon 100 SD is the Stream Deck integration.  There are 12 programmable buttons, each with an LCD display, allowing you to trigger predetermined actions, launch applications, switch profiles and more.  

Above these keys is an LCD display and two rotary controls that can be used for whatever you program them to do – eg. volume control, media control and more.

The LCD buttons can also adapt in real time to the stage of the game you are up to, making them extremely effective as Macro keys as well.   With all of this deep integration into the game and the Stream Deck, with the Corsair Galleon 100 SD, there really isn’t much use for dedicated Stream Deck hardware anymore.

Some may find it difficult to access the macro keys, as they are on the far side of the keyboard, opposite where many gaming keys are usually situated. After a relatively steep learning curve, I got used to simply reaching across with my right hand and flicking the macro as required.

If you don’t want to make your own macros, etc., and would rather just use one made by experts in that sort of thing, there are plenty for many games already on the Elgate Marketplace.  I checked out a couple of them, and while they are not cheap, they are one-off purchases that can be used as long as you want.  I’m sure, as the keyboard gets more traction in the field, a lot more integrations will be available for purchase on the marketplace.

Not only can you use these macro and Stream Deck integrations, but you can also use them for system-level monitoring, such as CPU and GPU load and temperatures and more.  These profiles can be downloaded from Elgato.

Gaming and performance

Gaming, without using the Stream Deck integration section, is a breeze with the Galleon 100 SD.  It offers polling rates up to 8,000Hz, which is extremely fast compared to many offerings, especially the wireless varieties.  For me, this made no noticeable difference, given how slow my reflexes are these days, but for better gamers, this could make a difference for sure.

The keyboard includes technology that determines which key to activate when two keys of opposite actions are pressed in quick succession.  It will prioritise the last direction pressed which is a great help in many situations in a fast-paced game.  I often do this because my decision-making while gaming is sketchy at best, and when I flip-flop, it is nice to know the keyboard has my back.  

The MLX Pulse linear mechanical switches are similar in some ways to the Cherry MX Red switches that so many other keyboards either use or attempt to emulate but I prefer their quick activation combined with ease of use.  According to Corsair, they activate at just 2mm and require only 45 grams of force, giving them a smooth feel.  

I can definitely feel the difference between these and Cherry MX switches with the Corsair variety having a smoother and ‘squishier’ feel to them – in a good way.  It didn’t take me very long at all to get used to them and become comfortable typing and gaming with them.  The noise isn’t overly loud either, although my wife did think I was gaming instead of working when she heard the keyboard from the other room!

For those who like to use macros, you can customise your own on the keyboard itself or use the Stream Deck panel for that purpose.  I use the occasional macro and prefer to be guided by the experts who create the profiles that determine which macros I should use.  This has made my gaming in certain games so much better, especially Cyberpunk 2077.

At first, I was wondering why there wasn’t a wireless option but when you think about the power that must be required to push the Stream Deck integration and its LCD keys, you will quickly realise that the best way to achieve that without any lag or overheating is with a wired connection.  The USB-C wired connection can be disconnected, though, making it easier to transport and pack away.

Software

Fresh off the Corsair Sabre v2 Pro review, I thought I’d be fine with the software for the Corsair Galleon 100 SD.  While I was it was different.  For some reason, you need to download the Corsair Web Hub app to customise it.  Seems a bit strange that the web app is actually an app you have to download, but that is what Corsair has decided to call it.

The keyboard software is intuitive and easy to use.  You can create your own profiles, and within the profile, you can:

  • Change the lighting effects, including per-key assignment of each light
  • Assign keyboard keys (effectively remap your keyboard), mouse buttons, media and volume controls to keys, assign system function shortcuts to keys (key combinations such as Ctrl+Alt+Delete), assign macros to keys, and even assign text to be assigned to a particular key
  • Test your key assignments

This app is also where you update firmware, change the USB-wired polling rate, and adjust the brightness of the keys.

I can hear you saying, “But what about the Stream Deck?”  To edit, you will need to use another app, the virtual Elgato Stream Deck app.  I’ve never used the Stream Deck before, so I thought using the app would be difficult – I was wrong.

The app is incredibly simple – it recognises the attached Galleon 100 SD Stream Deck and assigns the keyboard to the app.  From here you can customise the buttons yourself – and yes you can use profiles for different games, apps or scenarios.

The good thing is that you can easily start with a downloaded profile and customise it to your liking.  As for how many profiles there are, you would be surprised.  Although the Galleon 100 SD only launched in stores in Australia a couple of days ago, there are many different profiles you can download from the Stream Deck marketplace – and a lot of them are free.

The more complicated gaming ones will cost you money, but if you have purchased a game, it is likely you will want to get the most out of it, and profiles made specifically for that game with the requisite macros and shortcuts already in the best location will be worth the outlay.

We were sent some of these profiles by Corsiar to test out, and although I have a few of the games they included, they are not in my current rotation.  I managed to find a company, iConCity.com that creates a decent Galleon profile for Cyberpunk 2077, my current game of choice – still.  

Not only does their profile offer macros and shortcuts that I need, given my slowness on a keyboard, but they look great too.   Other games they make profiles for include Battlefield 6, Star Citizen, Diablo 4, and many more – you can check them all out here, or you can find them and many, many more on the Stream Deck marketplace.

For those who cannot do without their keypad, iConCity.com also offers great standard keypad icons and designs – the keypads include social media links and volume and brightness controls.  

Even if you aren’t streaming to an audience, the Galleon 100 SD can really make a difference to your gaming experience – I have found it has for me with selective use of profiles and icons.

Who buys this?

The Corsair Galleon 100 SD is ideal for gaming streamers who use a Stream Deck. The integration means one less piece of hardware required on your desk. Missing the keypad with this keyboard? Simply change the profile to one with a keypad (or make one yourself). Want to customise the Stream Deck to a game you love? Easy: simply add the shortcuts and quick keys you want, and theme it however you wish—or do what I did and download them from the Stream Deck marketplace.

The keys are Corsair’s pre-lubricated MLX Pulse mechanical switches, and they feel different to Cherry MX keys I’ve used, with a more fluid, spongier feel. Prefer a certain Cherry MX key? Simply pull out the Corsair switches and replace them with your favourite switches. Included are the usual per-key RGB lighting options and you have a complete gaming keyboard. For these reasons, this is great for not just streamers but all gamers.

The Corsair Galleon 100 SD gaming keyboard is available in Australia now for AU$570, not cheap, but remember with this keyboard you do not need to buy yourself a Stream Deck as well.