Quote:Update: According to Eurogamer, Valve is not involved in the Piston Console. However, it could still be running Steam and using the Big Picture feature for TVs.

You can now preorder the first Steam Box, a PC-based gaming console built around Valve's digital game distribution platform. Prices, however, start at US$1,000, though there's a US$100 discount if you order now.

The Piston Console was announced at CES earlier this year by manufacturer Xi3. The "grapefruit-sized" Piston uses Steam's Big Picture feature to bring console-style PC games to TV screens.

Xi3 is a modular PC vendor that has received funding from Valve, and its Piston Console is among a handful of such console-style PCs that are expected to arrive in 2013. The Piston Console is slated to ship in the holiday season at the end of 2013, which also happens to be the estimated launch period for Sony's next-generation PlayStation 4.

Valve's head honcho, Gabe Newell, had said in an interview earlier this month that Valve's Steam Box should be ready for testing "in the next three to four months".

According to a report by Siliconera, the Piston console retains its PC roots by offering users future hardware upgrade options. At the moment, those placing preorders can only select the size of the SSD, but the Piston is designed to enable the swapping of the RAM, motherboard, and even the AMD APU (Accelerated Processing Unit) that's powering the device.

However, such upgrades may not come cheap. As it is, switching to a 512GB SSD from the base 128GB version on the preorder page now adds US$750 to the price. This seems pretty excessive as one can easily purchase a similar SSD for less than US$500.

The report also quoted Xi3's Chief Marketing Officer, David Politis, who said that Piston "will ship standard with Windows", though users are able to install other operating systems on the device, like any PC.

Although Valve has been pushing Linux to developers with its Steam for Linux client, the majority of games are still on the Windows platform--there were just 81 Linux games available on Steam when we last checked. For any PC consoles to be successful, they probably have to support Windows, at least in the beginning. With upcoming consoles from Microsoft and Sony likely to sport PC hardware, it's difficult to imagine big-name game developers straying from the Windows platform anytime soon.

MuscleWizard Wrote:Later tonight i'll write up and build you guys a cheaper more powerful device.

Zelkova Wrote:The price is directly related to the size of the machine. Of course you can build a cheaper, more powerful device...but it'll be mid tower sized, and not palm sized.

MuscleWizard Wrote:Would you rather spend a thousand bucks on something that can only run vidya, or 800 on something that can do everything?

Zelkova Wrote:You misunderstood me I guess. You were commenting about how you can build a more powerful device for less. I pretty much said "Of course you can build a more powerful device for less, they are charging so much for it because the machine is so small".

MuscleWizard Wrote:Most of the price tag on that is the SSD I believe to be honest.

Chew Wrote:You're all missing the target audience for the Piston

MuscleWizard Wrote:People who don't know any better?

Chew Wrote:You're all missing the target audience for the Piston

Polantaris Wrote:Stupid/naive people?

Just because a PC is typically used with monitors doesn't mean you can't hook it up to a TV. That is the amazing use of HDMI.

Get wireless controllers, mice, and keyboards and you can put your PC in any room with a recent TV. You don't need a fancy and overpriced box.

Chew Wrote:But could that setup fit in your hands? Is it really silent? Doubt it.
I know it's stupid and I can't imagine how many people will actually buy this, but this is what they are targeting for, as much as we (I include myself cause I just start set up in mine and know I can see the vast advantages it givesto make your own PC) don't like it.

Polantaris Wrote:I honestly don't see the target audience here at all.

Chew Wrote:Of course you won't because you already know how to set up your own with better specs and cheaper.
But this is for people who doesn't care or don't want to learn to do so.
Also I think this is targeted to people who has a huge pc game library and that people want to share or play some co-op or whatever reason and don't want to/can't move their PC.
Just my opinion.