Time to get steamed about Steam and pumped about the Piston. The Xi3 Piston is the first games console for streaming service Steam to go on sale, although not to UK gamers just yet.
The Piston packs a 3.2GHz quad-core R464 processor with 8GB of RAM, and a choice of solid state drives. It hooks up to your telly to play games using Steam's Big Picture mode.
Steam is an online gaming service that beams the game to your computer from the Internet, rather than making you buy a copy of the game and storing it on your computer or console.
The company behind Steam is Valve, which recently revealed plans for prototype consoles that will be available "within the next three or four months."
Valve helped pay to develop the Piston, which is available to order now from Xi3 -- if you live in the US. It costs $900 (£600) for the 128GB SSD, $1240 (£833) with a 256GB SSD and $1650 (£1,110) for 512GB of storage.
Meanwhile, Kickstarter-funded Android-powered console Ouya will begin delivery this month -- without multiplayer. Ouya says it plans to add online multiplayer gaming by the end of the year.
The potential limitations of online gaming were revealed this past week with the disastrous launch of SimCity. Gamers were left frustrated as they were unable to play online or activate their game due to overcrowding on EA's server's. EA has apologised and promised a free game. For more on these and all the gaming news, reviews and videos you'll ever need, head for GameSpot.
Is Steam the future? Can these upstart games consoles challenge the big three of Microsoft Xbox, Sony PlayStation and Nintendo Wii? Tell me your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page.
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Comments 15
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anonymous 12 March, 2013 12:20
is it the future? not at those prices!
Peter Hudson 12 March, 2013 12:23
"Steam is an online gaming service that beams the game to your computer from the Internet, rather than making you buy a copy of the game and storing it on your computer or console"
If they are streaming, why does the machine have such high specs?
DavidMiller 12 March, 2013 12:26
"Steam is an online gaming service that beams the game to your computer from the Internet, rather than making you buy a copy of the game and storing it on your computer or console"
This is untrue. To play games, you have to download them to your computer which uses storage. Its exactly the same thing that happens when you install games from disk, except in Steam's case, no disk is required, otherwise why would there be storage option for the Xi3?
what I like about this idea is that games can now be played in the confort of the living room, but you have the option to plug the Xi3 Piston into your monitor and use a mouse and keyboard as well, something which is lacking in the console world.
anonymous 12 March, 2013 12:29
Steam is not a streaming service. Though, I assumed it was 2 years ago myself.
You just download and play games via a steam client.
Peter Hudson 12 March, 2013 12:31
So in other words, this is just a PC which can only access Steam.
DavidMiller 12 March, 2013 12:34
@Peter Hudson - From what I understand about it, it can be used as a normal pc. The best thing about it, is that its modular, only specific hardware is manufactured for it, meaning game developers are able to take real advantage of the hardware, just as they do for consoles, getting more and more out of it.
The reason for steam venturing into this deal with the company that produces it is because of that fact. It's modular pc that will only use specific hardware, thus enabling them to take full advantage of it.
anonymous 12 March, 2013 13:08
haha, gamespot! oh how you make me laugh!
Rich Trenholm 12 March, 2013 14:40
DavidMiller, I guess I missed the word "physical"
Peter Hudson 12 March, 2013 14:48
I'm still struggling to see just who is gonna buy this. If I was spending £1000, I'd just buy a full PC. From what I've seen on their site, it doesn't run full windows and just boots into the Big Picture client for steam. It's very expensive for a console
anonymous 12 March, 2013 16:39
It's a great idea really. Instead of buying an XBox 360, A PS3, and a PC, you can spend the same total value on a single device that may or may not deliver the same functionality!
I'm buying three!
anonymous 13 March, 2013 00:35
This info is incorrect. Valve already announced they and their Steam service have no involvement with the Piston hardware.
https://www.google.com/search?q=valve+piston+statement&aq=f&oq=valve+piston+statement&aqs=chrome.0.57j62l2.6130&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
anonymous 13 March, 2013 06:09
They keep boasting about how this machine can run demanding games and something to do with the hardcore gamer crowd...
Anyway, enough about its design, what games can it play and at what settings. Benchmarks people!
Oh yeah and...Will it float?!
anonymous 31 March, 2013 22:05
I think you mean "will it blend"?
LBO_Jones 9 April, 2013 05:44
Does US only exclude Canada as well?
Why can't they say North America instead of US?
It's not like they said it will be available everywhere, but England..
No chatter about Team Fortress 3 can be verified... Team Fortress 2 servers have now been scrapped on PS3, looks like for good! :(
Am i going to have to buy an Xbox 360 just months before the release of PISTON, in order to keep playing TF2? If so when will TF3 be released in relation to the PISTON release?
Why so cryptic Valve, why?
This is so uncool of you!
Not to mention the price tag, if PISTON can't out preform PS4 & 720 combined out the gate, they may as well call it the PISSED-ON, because that's how we'll all feel!!!
anonymous 12 April, 2013 14:44
This is amazing shame my internet is crap.
Can't wait to move to a different place to get better speeds.