Unofficial Steam Box Launches This Holiday



Posted by Hilbert Hagedoorn on: 03/10/2013 07:52 PM | 35 comment(s) ]
The first unofficial Steam Box console called Xi3's Piston will launch this holiday at a starting price of $1,000, the hardware manufacturer announced. Pre-orders can be made from their website, and can also be made at the Gaming Expo until March 10 in Austin, Texas. All pre-order sales made before March 18 will receive a $100 discount from Xi3. Inside the box merely a Radeon HD 7660G GPU from AMD with 384 streamprocessors.
The Xi3 Piston is the first PC that has been designed to play games in the comfort of the player's living room using Steam's Big Picture Mode. According to Valve's Gabe Newell, they are currently developing their own Steam Box that will also be available this year. Regardless, Valve is helping finance the Xi3. The Xi3 Piston is available for pre-order now, and is available in 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB variants. The prices range from $1,000 to $1,750. Specs include 8GB RAM and a 3.2 Ghz Quad Core (R464) processor.
SALT LAKE CITY and AUSTIN, Texas — March 8, 2013 — Xi3 Corporation today announced it will begin accepting pre-orders for its PISTON™ Console (PC) at the Gaming Expo held today, tomorrow and Sunday during the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas.
The list price of Xi3’s PISTON Console starts at $999.99. Any PISTON Console pre-order placed between now and the end of SXSW 2013 (11:59 p.m. CST, Sunday, March 17, 2013), will receive a $100 discount off the list price, with pre-ordered PISTON Consoles shipped in time for the 2013 Holiday Season.
“Given the amount of awards, media attention and gamer interest the PISTON Console has generated since it was unveiled at CES 2013 in January, we’ve become seriously concerned that we will not be able to meet the demand for PISTON Consoles this year,” said Jason A. Sullivan, founder, president and CEO of Xi3 Corporation.
“That’s why we have decided to begin accepting pre-orders on our PISTON Console, beginning today with the start of the SXSW Gaming Expo. Gaming Expo attendees will also get the benefit of being the first to see the PISTON Console in action.”
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Ancient Guru
Posts: 4825
Joined: 2008-07-31
...expensive paperweight
if it was 200-300 dollars, at max, then maybe
Ancient Guru
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Joined: 2006-02-14
It's a 3.2GHz quad core A10 with a 7660? I'm not sure what's more horrendous, that or Sony's preliminary plan for a 1.6GHz octo core A10 console.
Sounds like a $250 machine.
Maha Guru
Posts: 2010
Joined: 2008-07-03
It's a 3.2GHz quad core A10 with a 7660? I'm not sure what's more horrendous, that or Sony's preliminary plan for a 1.6GHz octo core A10 console.
Sounds like a $250 machine.
Console can get away with less power spec due to codes and API are optimize for 1 and only 1 specification. For PC, its a different story, you have varies API and library which are optimize for the OS and the OS manage the interaction between the OS and the different hardware combination which may or may not be optimize due to catering for as many specification as possible.
Ancient Guru
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I'm aware. But we're talking about machines which will have to do for the next 6 years at the least. We're going to be held back by consoles again. It's not even like they picked middle range technology, this is bottom of the barrel reject trash. The last time they went with high end to relatively high end (modified 7800) GPUs and unique CPUs which they thought could be optimal for consoles. This time around it's the cheapest trash they think they can get away with while still getting a large boost in power.
Seriously? An A10? There is a reason why laptops containing these AMD chips can be found for $200-$400. The difference is that those are higher clocked than what will be in the consoles.
Maha Guru
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The first unofficial Steam Box console called Xi3's Piston will launch this holiday at a starting price of $1,000, the hardware manufacturer announced. Pre-orders can be made from their website, and ...
Unofficial Steam Box Will Launch This Holiday
damn i can buy parts for less the half those prices and build better system, that will do the same thing. minus the whole it will fit in shoe box....
Maha Guru
Posts: 1377
Joined: 2007-02-03
I'm aware. But we're talking about machines which will have to do for the next 6 years at the least. We're going to be held back by consoles again. It's not even like they picked middle range technology, this is bottom of the barrel reject trash. The last time they went with high end to relatively high end (modified 7800) GPUs and unique CPUs which they thought could be optimal for consoles. This time around it's the cheapest trash they think they can get away with while still getting a large boost in power.
Seriously? An A10? There is a reason why laptops containing these AMD chips can be found for $200-$400. The difference is that those are higher clocked than what will be in the consoles.
I believe the 7900s in the ps3 was already garbage by the time they released the console :-/ so they are doing the same, what was expensive was the blu-ray player etc
Maha Guru
Posts: 2010
Joined: 2008-07-03
I'm aware. But we're talking about machines which will have to do for the next 6 years at the least. We're going to be held back by consoles again. It's not even like they picked middle range technology, this is bottom of the barrel reject trash. The last time they went with high end to relatively high end (modified 7800) GPUs and unique CPUs which they thought could be optimal for consoles. This time around it's the cheapest trash they think they can get away with while still getting a large boost in power.
Seriously? An A10? There is a reason why laptops containing these AMD chips can be found for $200-$400. The difference is that those are higher clocked than what will be in the consoles.
I agree that console should have better power compare to PC because unlike PC, the console lives longer and the spec cannot be changed which will lead to outdated tech and power in few years.
Ancient Guru
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Get a Micro ATX motherboard, good enough. 8.9"x6.8", not exactly large: http://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16813130661
Throw in a $100 A8-5600K (3.6GHz Quad) and $20 worth of RAM, and the cheapest PSU you can find and you got yourself a Steam Box. The difference being that this one can OC and costs around $200... that and of course it can be upgraded.
Edit: My bad, I keep forgetting A10s are available, make that a $120 A10-5800K that's a 3.8GHz Quad, beats the Steam Box's A10.

Master Guru
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Agreed. It's price will kill whatever little hope it had. Combine that with the PS4 and Xbox 720 coming out, no one is going to get a Steam box but a few die hard fans this winter.
Valve is going to burn out one day. They need to get it out of their heads that Steam will continue on forever.
Master Guru
Posts: 248
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I couldn't care less how small this thing is, it's still a PoS...
They're boasting about it's portable size yet it's the reason why it sucks. It's too small for decent hardware.
Also charging $1,000? Who do they think they are? Apple?...psshh
Maha Guru
Posts: 2287
Joined: 2003-05-24
I couldn't care less how small this thing is, it's still a PoS...
They're boasting about it's portable size yet it's the reason why it sucks. It's too small for decent hardware.
Also charging $1,000? Who do they thing they are? Apple?...psshh
was thinking more along the lines of Sonys size balls for the price of the ps3 when it laucnhed or maybe the bigger size balls that neogeo had,but think most that come from prices of those game cartridges .
Either way that price is ridiculous for something i computer can do for less and most likely better, it just wont fit in shoe box.
Personally I would buy another computer and put it together for less and still have far superior system before I would pay that price just cause it tiny
Ancient Guru
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My problem with it is that the parts can be more or less bought at any computer shop for under $250. Let's say their small motherboard, PSU and stupid case cost a good deal more and they need money to cover their donut costs, that's still under $350 at RETAIL price, not what they pay for it which would be substantially less.
$120 A10, $20 RAM, $30 PSU, $50 mobo. $200 not including a case. Am I missing something here?
Master Guru
Posts: 251
Joined: 2010-11-28
It's not only that it's overpriced, but name one game that will be a Steam Box exclusive that isn't going to be released on either the PS4 or Xbox 720. I can't even think of many PC exclusives they're going to have that's going to make people want this thing.
Master Guru
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It better give blowjobs too for that price.
$1000 in this economy... They're dreaming.

Ancient Guru
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Joined: 2006-11-30
It's cool that it's small and not horrible looking for living room, the price for a PC which is as easy to upgrade as a console and about as fast... Meh. I dont get why people are interested in this ?