The Shift from Hardware to Software

For streamers active as game broadcasters or VTubers, delivering high-quality audio and creating visually polished screens are essential for building deeper connections with viewers. In reality, however, simply buying a microphone or camera does not guarantee a satisfying streaming setup. Difficult settings, juggling multiple software applications, compatibility issues between devices — many streamers face this “post-purchase wall.”

Through the WAVE NEXT event, Elgato presented one answer to these challenges: a concept centered on completing the streamer experience through software, with hardware as the starting point. Beyond maximizing equipment performance, the event’s core message was about experience design — creating an environment that makes people want to stream more.

This report covers the WAVE NEXT event overview and the significance of Elgato’s vision, explained in a way that is accessible even to streaming beginners. For hands-on product reviews, please see our separate article. Here, we focus on understanding the concept and direction.

Equipment review: Making Stream Audio “Easy”: Wave XLR MK.2 / XLR Dock MK.2 / Stream Deck + XL

What Is WAVE NEXT?

Event Overview

WAVE NEXT was a product announcement event for streamers hosted by Elgato. Founded in Germany in 1999 and acquired by the Corsair group in 2018, Elgato is a streaming equipment manufacturer trusted by content creators worldwide for its USB microphones, capture devices, and more.

The company has developed a wide range of streaming products centered on the WAVE series of USB microphones, along with the Stream Deck physical controller and capture devices. As its name suggests, WAVE NEXT was an event showcasing “the next step” — going beyond a simple product announcement to present Elgato’s vision for the future of streaming.

KEY POINT: The “NEXT” in “WAVE NEXT” refers not only to new hardware, but also carries the meaning of advancing the streaming experience itself to “the next stage.”

Why This Event, and Why Now?

With the rapid growth of game streaming and VTuber culture, the number of streamers continues to increase globally. What was once an image of “professional streamers using premium equipment” has evolved into an era where “even casual streamers need a certain level of quality.”

Yet streaming setup remains complex and presents a high barrier for beginners. Even after purchasing a microphone, questions arise: Where do I configure noise removal? How do I adjust gain? How do I integrate with OBS? Many streamers give up, unable to find answers to these questions.

Elgato identified this “post-purchase wall” as the biggest challenge in the streamer experience, and WAVE NEXT was the event that directly addressed this issue.

What Does It Mean to Shift from Hardware to Software?

The Limitations of the Traditional Hardware-Centric Approach

In the streaming equipment market, the focus has traditionally been on hardware spec competition — developing higher-quality microphones and offering more powerful cameras. However, user sentiment has consistently been: “No matter how good the specs are, they are meaningless if you cannot use them effectively.”

Microphones in particular are heavily influenced by placement and room acoustics. Even with a high-end microphone, air conditioning noise or room reverb can be persistent issues. Having to open a settings app each time and wrestle with complex equalizer and compressor settings is a significant burden for most users.

Elgato’s Software-Centric Ecosystem

What Elgato presented at WAVE NEXT was a framework enabling anyone to unlock the full potential of their hardware through software. This allows streamers to spend less time troubleshooting audio settings and more time focused on content creation.

Specifically, the WAVE Link software deeply integrates with WAVE series microphones, enabling real-time mixing of multiple audio sources and intuitive noise cancellation and audio correction. This software is not a mere accessory — it is designed as the “brain” of the hardware, responsible for maximizing the equipment’s capabilities.

From a Streamer’s Perspective: For example, being able to manage game sound effects, your voice, BGM, and chat text-to-speech on separate tracks makes post-stream editing dramatically easier. WAVE Link aims to achieve this without complex configuration.

Leveraging AI and Automation

Another key pillar of WAVE NEXT is AI-powered automatic optimization. For instance, microphone gain and noise gate settings are automatically recommended based on AI analysis of your room’s acoustic characteristics. For beginners who previously stumbled on questions like “What is gain?” or “How do I set noise gate thresholds?”, the software now provides support to achieve “great sound” without technical knowledge.

This represents a significant directional shift for Elgato. While the brand previously carried an impression of “equipment with granular settings for advanced users,” it now aims for a dual approach through AI automation: “accessible to everyone, yet satisfying for professionals.”

Concrete Benefits for Streamers

1. Dramatically Reduced Setup Time

Simply connecting and powering on your equipment automatically configures basic audio settings. Many settings that previously required manual configuration in OBS or separate audio software are now consolidated within the WAVE Link interface. This is especially beneficial for VTubers and others who prefer to minimize pre-stream preparation time.

2. Audio Quality That “Naturally” Improves

Simply enabling noise cancellation and audio correction can significantly reduce room reverb and PC fan noise. Being able to improve the audio quality reaching your listeners without investing in an expensive studio environment is a major advantage for home streamers.

3. Unified Management of Game Audio, Voice, and BGM

With WAVE Link, game audio, your voice, BGM, and notification sounds can each be managed as individual channels. Issues like “game audio is too loud and drowns out my voice” or “I cannot figure out the right BGM volume balance” can be resolved intuitively from a single interface.

4. Stream Deck Integration Simplifies Mid-Stream Controls

Elgato’s Stream Deck is a device that automates various operations with the press of a physical button. Within the WAVE NEXT ecosystem, Stream Deck is designed to call up WAVE Link settings, switch scenes, and adjust volume with a single touch. Being able to mute your mic or lower volume during a stream without taking your eyes off the screen is a significant advantage.

What Is Stream Deck? A physical controller that lets you execute common streaming operations — scene switching, muting, BGM playback, and more — with a single touch. It is valued by streamers who want to keep their broadcasts running smoothly without looking away from the screen.

Elgato’s Vision for the Future of Streaming

Toward “Equipment-Invisible Streaming”

If the message of WAVE NEXT could be summarized in one phrase, it would be “achieving streaming where you do not think about equipment.” The vision is a state where software ensures great audio while you immerse yourself in content creation — without spending time on complex settings.

This is a shared need for game streamers, VTubers, and aspiring podcasters alike. From a situation where “I own great equipment but cannot use it effectively” to one where “simply owning it means automatic optimization” — Elgato aims to serve as that bridge.

Co-Creation with the Community

The WAVE NEXT event also highlighted Elgato’s emphasis on community feedback. Features are designed based on real input from streamers, and the philosophy of “making professional-grade equipment accessible to everyone” clearly underpins their product development.

For new streamers, the reassurance of “buying Elgato equipment means joining an ecosystem” could become a guiding principle for future purchasing decisions. For existing users, the benefit lies in their current equipment becoming more useful as the software evolves.

Conclusion

WAVE NEXT was not merely an event for announcing new hardware. It was a proposal from Elgato about “the very nature of being a streamer.”

Whether you are just starting out or are a seasoned veteran, the concept of software supporting an environment where you can feel “easier, better streaming is possible” will likely be remembered as a pivotal turning point in Elgato’s product direction.

A hands-on review of the microphones and other products will be published separately. That article will cover actual sound quality, usability, and setup procedures in detail, so please check it out as well.

This article is an editorial report based on coverage of the WAVE NEXT event.

Photography: Jun Sumitomo