This is the biggest problem I have with the Touch Bar. Since it is a continuous strip, it is almost impossible for me to develop muscle memory with it. Having to look away from the screen breaks my ‘flow state’ which is disruptive and takes a while to get back on track. When typing out lines of complicated loops and nested statements, this is quite a big deal. My finger hurts after hitting the Escape ‘key’ for too long (and sometimes, the key would disappear; and the key is slightly indented), and my brain hurts when I accidentally lock the Mac while brushing my little finger over the Lock button.
On the other hand, I like the Stream Deck much better. Fully customisable much like the Touch Bar, but the keys are fixed in place and I’d develop muscle memory with use. I can also choose to prop it up or lay it flat on the desk depending on the use case