Xi3 has announced that the pint-sized Piston console will launch on 29 November in the US, with a price of $999.<\/p>\n
Global pricing and availability for specific regions are to be announced “at a future date”, but you can order one from various online retailers for a global delivery if you\u2019re desperate.<\/p>\n
The Piston is a fully-encased gaming-centric PC, which will act as a home console. The Piston features 128GB SSD storage, 8GB of RAM and a 3.2Ghz Quad Core (AMD R464).<\/p>\n
It supports up to 4K-resolution (4096×2160 pixels) and can run up to three displays simultaneously as standard.<\/p>\n
Since it uses standard PC parts, the Piston is compatible with most desktop operating systems, which will include Valve’s new Steam OS when it is released.<\/p>\n
It was revealed at CES 2013 that Valve had invested in company Xi3 to develop a prototype compact console capable of running Steam. This is not the mythical Steam Box, as Valve boss Gabe Newell clarified in an interview:\u00a0Valve confirms internal development of \u201cSteam Box\u201d hardware<\/a><\/p>\n The price of the Piston is expensive, considering that you could buy a PS4 and Xbox One for less than the cost of the device.<\/p>\n