Steam Box Codenamed Piston. Early details of Valve's upcoming console

Valve is out to change PC gaming, one way or another. Steam has become the biggest hub for PC gaming and now Valve are out to do it again with the SteamBox, which we learned is going to be Linux-based. Valve has teamed up with Xi3 hardware to bring you the Piston(codename for the SteamBox)

he Steam Box will have up to 1 TB of storage with a modular motherboard that will give us the option to upgrade the CPU and RAM.

[RamsesNum1]

Wow those specifications sound intreging. I mean I think we have a contender, I already love steam. But yeah the Piston looks cool

[Blackdeath_663]

we have a big contender at that. the fact that it is upgradeable is a good feature that separates it from other consoles and with a very strong online service such as steam this could be a big hit. i'm still sceptical on weather it will support games that can only be played using keyboard&mouse or if it will be controller only console.

(sorry if i refer to it as a console while some people may consider it a pc. ultimately it will be competing with consoles not with pc's so it only makes sense to call it a games console)

[RamsesNum1]

TO some extent yeah i totally agree with you, but thats my point, you really dont think it can compete with a PC. I mean how it gets its strength, being some what of a micro PC.....

[CyberCam]

Correction Please!
It will be able to be used with a keyboard & mouse as it will also be able to be use with the regular Steam interface as well.

I read that on one of the press releases. I can't for the life of me find it right now, as I've read so many PR's from so many sites.

[scotchmouth]

I hope they keep the name 'Piston'. Quite like it

[adorie]

Lot's of people are complaining about the price. Lol. The main attraction about this is the size and power it brings. If I had the money for the 1100$ X7A, I would drop it in a heart beat, knowing well I can upgrade it later.

The size and what it does for being that size is what grabs me and holds me in place. I can say if this improves any more, I'm going to have to set up a side account and save up for one of these.

[Autodidactdystopia]

I think most of us are getting ahead of ourselves.

I dont think this is the steambox at all.

i understand valve is invested in this company but i dont see this being very successful at all.

it is literally too small to fit any real perforamance in there in terms of a gpu, even today mid-highend gpus pull 100 watts of power on thier own.

I dont buy it and im calling this bs for now cause i dont think valve would come to the gaming market without significant HW to push a new engine and hl3 when it debuts.

highend gpus pull as much as ~400 watts on their own

[Davoh]

I don't think this'll be successful.
Would PC gamers and Valve fans buy this? Probably not, because they would be the ones most likely to have a gaming PC. Then what about console gamers? They would probably stick with their current console manufacturer, the Next Xbox or PS4, etc.
The only real reason to get this would be if you don't have a prefered console or a gaming PC and figured this would be a cheaper alternative. But then why choose this over another console? Sadly, there aren't many exclusive PC games nowadays apart from indie games which don't usually require a gaming PC, but then what's left? The Sims and strategy games. But is getting the Steam Box just for The Sims and strategy games worth it?

[fermcr]

according to Eurogamer...

http://www.eurogamer.net/ar...

"Prices for an X7a will start at $1100 and they'll be available in February, according to a press release put out in September. They'll run Windows 8, Linux and Unix."

If they sell it at that price.... ouch.

[Blackdeath_663]

oh...$1100...well at that price you may as well buy a pc lol. doesn't that defeat the purpose? i guess for people who are still so insistent on avoiding a full on desktop pc they can just buy this but man that price tag does hit hard.

[JsonHenry]

They've shot themselves in the foot if it costs that much.

[pr0digyZA]

So far they have said this is a niche product, they havn't tried to hide the fact.

I suppose its for people who want a PC in the living room (big picture) and don't want a huge case filling space or looking out of place.

[bigdaddy4247]

i rather just spend the money on building a pc then. Then i just use an hdmi able to put it on my TV. if i want to sit on my couch and play steam games.

Hopefully this is not the case, and its just an option instead for high performance if people are willing to pay it.

[onyoursistersback]

whats the price on this??? i doint like the look of it, but i i work at a sign shop and work with alum all the time...i think i can make a better look and give it a Alien-ware theme to it.

i just check the price, some what high...but its understandable....if no ps4 this year, im getting one.

[AbhishekGIS]

very good and i will surely gonna think about it

[majiebeast]

1100$ does it come with a lifetime of free steam games?

[RamsesNum1]

Yeah right, I can by a PC for that amont and stick to browser steam. They should really rethink how they will penetrate the market with this price

[blackbirdi]

really dispointed i was expecting something else

[MaleManSam]

Kind of ironic that it looks more like an X than what the X-box does.

[Jek_Porkins]

The Xbox is called that because it was short for Direct X Box. Simply for what was being used at the time.

[Dlacy13g]

Love the design shown in pics. ... have major heat concerns. Need to see more and cost absolutely plays a heavy role.

[kneon]

With that size and form factor don't expect a powerhouse machine. If the rumored price is true then I really don't see the point of this. Unless size is the main issue for you then just get a pc.

[RedSoakedSponge]

i hope they keep the name Piston. seems to fit well with Valve and Steam.

pretty worried about the price though if fermcr is correct.

if it wants to compete with Sony and Microsoft, it has to be in the same range as their consoles.

[matrixman92]

i was expecting something way different I guess...i will keep an eye on this

[pr0digyZA]

This hasn't been confirmed as the steam box, so far it looks like valve funded a bit (as this was a failed kickstarter) and in return steam is in. This allows Xi3 to make it, and steam to have yet another source of revenue.

[Psychotica]

Just the entry level X5a is $499 and the X7a is $999, that's pretty expensive. I was hoping to get one but not at those prices.

http://www.polygon.com/2013...

[DivineAssault]

this may be a force to be reckoned with.. Microsoft needs to keep their eye on this bad boy.. Gimmick less PC gaming on my TV looks much more interesting to me than buying a 720.. Upgradeable too?! HOW MUCH?? I already want one!

[YoungPlex]

You opinions blow me away! How is it that your still on this sight?

So nobody else including Sony has to worry about this? Incredible! Your like a psychic right? -_-

[RuperttheBear]

It's just more gibberish from DivineAssault. Sometimes I think he just bangs his head on the keyboard a few times and clicks on Add reply.

[YoungPlex]

@RuperttheBear" Sometimes I think he just bangs his head on the keyboard a few times and clicks on Add reply."

LMFAO!!! I literally just chocked on my coffee while reading this! Sometime I let my imagination get the best of me, I actually pictured him doing this. Bubble+ for funny!

[-Gespenst-]

I can't imagine Valve charging us that much for it. If this really is the Steam Box, how do they not realize that's a ludicrous price?

[randpropaganda]

Wow i cant wait, go valve : )

[sandman224]

If I were valve I'd release this before the new Xbox and ps3 release. If so ill buy one just to try it out.

[STK026]

No mention of the GPU?

[floetry101]

Piston is an interesting name that may allude to more "pistons" being connected together?

[modesign]

if its going to cost $999 its already dead in the water, and valve will have a drastic price cut within the year of its launch.

i could buy a Intel I7 For less and still have the power the "piston" has.

[slugboss]

I don't know how the rumored price is feasible. Even those with loads of excess income probably won't see the value in it, unless you can wear it as a hat...

[3-4-5]

Wow...I want

During lags in console gaming..this will be perfect...

Which means SteamBox + GTA V during Summer months....Console + Steam rest of time.

This looks like the real deal simply because I think they have the stones to actually gives the gamers what they want.

So does this mean I finally get to play Torchlight 2 and also some Total War games again ?

( Haven't had a PC in 5 years )

[TheObserver]

I wonder if you can have multiple pistons... Like a V8 engine with 8 pistons or something. Now, you can have horsepower with such a setup.

[blackblades]

Nice I don't play pc games cause my computer sux but this could change.

[MultiConsoleGamer]

That's not the Steam Box. Valves has already clarified this themselves.

[LAWSON72]

I am telling you this steambox really scares me.

[yeahokchief]

ps4 for me. its about the exclusives.

i will buy a laptop for pc games.