The Piston (Steambox)

[Kairouseki]

https://www.polygon.com/2013/1/7/3849284/piston-valve-steam-box-xi3

The “Steam Box” modular computer announced by hardware maker Xi3 and Valve at CES is codenamed “Piston” and is modeled after the PC maker’s X7A line of pint-sized computers, Xi3 reps tell Polygon.

Xi3 brought an early version of Piston to CES, but was tight lipped on details about the hardware currently in development with Valve. Xi3 chief marketing officer David Politis told Polygon that Piston will offer up to 1 TB of interal storage and offer modular component updates, including the option to upgrade the PC’s CPU and RAM.

Xi3 wouldn’t discuss price for Piston, but commented that the Steam Box is based on its “performance level” X7A offering, which is priced at $999. Xi3 declined to comment on what would differentiate Piston hardware-wise from a standard X7A.

It probably won’t cost $1000 but I can’t see it being too much lower. I really don’t know who this is for. PC people already have their PCs and I can’t see people who play on consoles going anywhere near this thing.

[k3nny1550]

The people who would go for it are people who need to upgrade their computers but don’t want to bother buying tons of new equipment and want to use existing home theater systems for visuals and sound, and rely on their Steam cloud for games instead of installing via optical media, most likely.

[Problematic_A-hole]

this is…
interesting I guess?

[Crypt]

I probably won’t be getting one soon, but it looks pretty neat. Is there a Steam logo lasered on anywhere?

[sersoft]

wow that is small

[Aiden_Pearce]

Honest to god I hope that this is not the alleged Steambox as this thing is dead on arrival(if they are hoping for a commercial success which I am assuming they are)if it’s anywhere near that price range…no scratch that if it’s anywhere near 700 $.I already own a modular gaming platform that I can hook up to my TV and it’s called My fucking PC…no,seriously,that’s the name of my computer.

[warpedfreeman]

im wondering wich kind of gpu it uses?

[xalener]

Fuck “piston”.

This is the Gabecube.

[D3lta]

^this

[DiePoente]

Look at this video. It’s robust as FUCK.

Oh and before everyone starts calling it the “Steambox”, its name is Piston and seems like the Steambox and this are
seperated projects. Valve has invested money into XI3 and backing up this project. But apparently they are also working on their own PC-Console,
since this one is being developed by XI3, who are known for developing Mini-PCs.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/xi3-and-valve-to-unveil-new-product-at-ces-2013—an-xi3-development-stage-computer-game-system-optimized-for-steam-gameplay-in-big-picture-mode-185945182.html

[Jack_Freeman]

Holy fuck.

[xalener]

@DiePoente

Look at this video. It’s robust as FUCK.

Oh and before everyone starts calling it the “Steambox”, its name is Piston and seems like the Steambox and this are
seperated projects. Valve has invested money into XI3 and backing up this project. But apparently they are also working on their own PC-Console,
since this one is being developed by XI3, who are known for developing Mini-PCs.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/xi3-and-valve-to-unveil-new-product-at-ces-2013—an-xi3-development-stage-computer-game-system-optimized-for-steam-gameplay-in-big-picture-mode-185945182.html

well whatever that is, it’s the gabecube

[Mont_Blanc]

@xalener

Fuck “piston”.

This is the Gabecube.

True dat.

IMO It will be useful only to console gamers or if Steam cease to work on PC.

[Pyroclase]

@k3nny1550

The people who would go for it are people who need to upgrade their computers but don’t want to bother buying tons of new equipment and want to use existing home theater systems for visuals and sound, and rely on their Steam cloud for games instead of installing via optical media, most likely.

Hm. I think I have a new thing I want.

[Kairouseki]

@DiePoente

Look at this video. It’s robust as FUCK.

Oh and before everyone starts calling it the “Steambox”, its name is Piston and seems like the Steambox and this are
seperated projects. Valve has invested money into XI3 and backing up this project. But apparently they are also working on their own PC-Console,
since this one is being developed by XI3, who are known for developing Mini-PCs.

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/xi3-and-valve-to-unveil-new-product-at-ces-2013—an-xi3-development-stage-computer-game-system-optimized-for-steam-gameplay-in-big-picture-mode-185945182.html

We should send one deep underwater and see if it’s crushed by the pressure. That is really cool though. I wonder how how much damage it could take.

[DiePoente]

It’s one of many prototypes.

https://www.polygon.com/2013/1/8/3850952/valve-meeting-with-hardware-and-content-developers-at-ces-piston-one

Reached for comment this morning about the forthcoming piece of hardware, Valve marketing director Doug Lombardi told Polygon that Piston is just one of many hardware prototypes they brought to the show.

“Valve will be at CES to meet with hardware and content developers in our booth space,” Lombardi said. “We are bringing multiple custom (hardware) prototypes as well as some off-the-shelf PCs to our CES meetings.”

Lombardi described the prototypes as "low-cost, high-performance designs for the living room that are great candidates for Steam and Big Picture.

[Mont_Blanc]

Enjoy Gabe’s last interview about the Steamboxes

[Bloodshot]

Shit some of those comments are good for laughs

[DiePoente]

Thread title can now be changed.

Summary:

With the first of many “Steam Box” computers making its debut at CES, Valve boss Gabe Newell has really opened up to The Verge about his company’s hardware plans, revealing that the range of gaming PCs might be even more ambitious than we would have imagined.
Some of the main things he touches on:

• Valve’s own Steam Box (Gabe actually refers to it as this) will be sold by Valve and will run Linux, though you can install Windows on it if you want. “This is not some locked box by any stretch of the imagination”, he says.

• The controller shipping with Valve’s Steam Box won’t use motion, but as expected, they will probably use some kind of biometric feedback. “Maybe the motion stuff is just failure of imagination on our part, but we’re a lot more excited about biometrics as an input method.” He also mentions gaze-tracking as being “super important”.

• Valve wants you to make your own Steam stores. “Some people will create team stores, some people will creates Sony stores, some people will create stores with only games that they think meet their quality bar. Somebody is going to create a store that says ‘these are the worst games on Steam.’ So that’s an example of where our thinking is leading us right now.”

• The Steam Box - code-named “Bigfoot” at Valve - won’t just be a PC. It’ll be a server, too, with the near future enabling you to “have one PC and eight televisions and eight controllers and everybody getting great performance out of it”. The LAN party just made a comeback. Only without all the cables.

There’s way, way more stuff - all of it interesting reading - in the full interview.

Sounds goddamn awesome!

[warpedfreeman]

So cheap and powerfull… :meh: i like the idea. This will give more access to more players especially to casuals.