Steam Machine | Steam Link | Lighthouse | Source Engine 2

**Salodin** · 2013-03-11 17:58

Haven't followed this box much, but it does not function as a pc as well? It's strictly for steam? Cause fuck that price if that's the case then; unless they can demonstrate how not needing a proper OS some how makes it's specs worth that much more.

**izembo** · 2013-03-11 18:05

seriously, the price is just awful. they can use a controller on a computer just fine and still be way below this cost.

**TacoTaru** · 2013-03-11 20:03

Originally Posted by Mazmaz

What about controller support? Big Picture has almost no proper control support/ports. Maybe they'll optimize controller support for these boxes, whereas you'll have to use mouse and keyboard on the PC's Big Picture.

Big Picture mode works just fine with a controller. I took a pretty extended vacation over Dec, hooked my PC up to my TV and played a lot of the games I got on sale through it. If you mean the selection isn't large, then it doesn't matter since the box is only going to support what Big Picture does. Once it gets supported for the box, it's going to be supported for me as well to boot up in Big Picture mode. For $1000 this is a total waste of money.

**Qalbert** · 2013-03-12 08:07

http://kotaku.com/5990078/turns-out-...-do-with-valve (kotaku so grain of salt etc)

In January, hardware manufacturer Xi3 announced the Piston, a living-room-friendly PC built to play Steam games in your living room. The Piston, Xi3 said at the time, had received a financial investment from Valve.

Just a few days ago, Xi3 said this unofficial 'Steam Box' would be out this holiday season for $1,000.

But according to a new report, Valve may have nothing to do with the Piston at all, despite Xi3's claims.

"Valve began some exploratory work with Xi3 last year," Valve's Doug Lombardi told Eurogamer, "but currently has no involvement in any product of theirs."

We have contacted both Valve and Xi3 for comment, and will update if we hear back.

**Denmork** · 2013-03-12 08:35

Calling it now it's only going to run Origin

**Prothescar** · 2013-03-12 17:04

Would be fitting. Tbh I didn't realize it only had an APU and no dedicated GPU in that ends up being weaker than current gen consoles in most cases. Why would you pay $1000 for something with less graphical power than a PS3? I'm not sure who they're marketing to anymore aside from the grossly uninformed, and this will likely turn them off of PC gaming forever after they realize how horrible their new $1000 box is.

**Grey Jorildyn** · 2013-03-12 17:18

I can't see Gabe thinking this is a good idea based on initial power reports of this thing.

**TacoTaru** · 2013-03-12 23:10

Valve is distancing themselves from it. It's not the official Steam Box.

**Pikarya** · 2013-03-12 23:36

http://kotaku.com/5990254/piston-mak...ally-for-valve

Hardware maker Xi3 has addressed today's confusion, telling Kotaku tonight that despite Valve's statements this morning, the Steam makers actually asked Xi3 to design the Piston PC.

In a strange statement this morning, Valve distanced themselves from Piston, a living-room-friendly PC that some have taken to calling an unofficial 'Steam Box' because it is designed to hook up to your television and play games in Steam's Big Picture mode—and because Xi3 said it had been backed by Valve.

"Valve began some exploratory work with Xi3 last year, but currently has no involvement in any product of theirs," Valve marketing head Doug Lombardi said in a statement originally obtained by Eurogamer (and by Kotaku later today).

Lombardi's statement was tough to square with what Xi3 had announced in January, when they first showed off the Piston at CES in Las Vegas. At the time, Xi3 said that Valve was helping back the new hardware.

"Xi3 also announced today it has received an investment from Valve Corporation," Xi3 said in a press release then. "Xi3's new development stage computer game system is also being showcased in Valve's booth (#25730) at CES 2013. No additional details about Xi3's new system or Valve's investment in Xi3 will be released at this time."

Last weekend, Xi3 announced that the Piston will launch this holiday season with models starting at $1,000.

We've been reaching out to both Xi3 and Valve all day to get some clarification, and in a statement sent to Kotaku tonight, Xi3 said that Valve not only invested in the Piston, but the Steam makers actually asked them to make it.

Here's the full statement from Xi3:

"We reaffirm the fact that we received an investment from Valve Corporation (as we previously disclosed during the 2013 International CES trade show), and we did so with Valve's written permission," said Jason A. Sullivan, founder, president and CEO of Xi3 Corporation. "Second, we were asked to build a product specifically for Valve, and both companies showcased this product—the Piston Console—in their respective booths at CES 2013.

"Then, during a meeting with Valve at CES, Gabe Newell personally asked me that we not disclose additional information about our relationship with Valve. We have honored that request and will continue to do so. That said, there are other items we need to cover.

"For example, the assumption of many in the media has been that Piston is the ‘official' Steam Box. We've never said that and neither has Valve. That hasn't changed. But just because Valve may not ‘currently' have any ‘involvement with any product of (ours)' doesn't mean that such involvement won't exist in the future.

"It's also important to note that the Piston Console will allow gamers to access Steam regardless of what our relationship is or isn't with Valve. Additionally, Piston will also support a raft of other Internet-based gaming and entertainment platforms, which is more than what Valve apparently has planned for its official Steam Box. In this way, the Piston Console could be perceived as something more than just a Steam Box, which makes sense because at its core the Piston Console is a Modular Computer that can run any operating system or application designed to run on an x86-based 64-bit computer.

"To be clear, the Piston Console will ship initially with a Windows operating system specifically because that's where the vast bulk of game software and computer gamers are today. That said, the Piston Console can also run Linux (and other operating systems), which means it can support the Linux-version of Steam.

"Contrary to Valve's vision, Xi3 believes that the way to take this to market today is to do so with a Windows OS at the core, coupled with the ability to not just get to one platform/store for games, but to get access to all game stores/platforms. Studios should have the option to go through Steam if they choose or to go direct to the end-user if they so choose. That will be the difference between Piston and other Steam Boxes. You'll be able to access Steam if you choose, but you'll also be able to access other platforms as well-all through the Piston Console.

"We have opened Piston Console pre-orders and have been amazed at the interest and amount of pre-orders we have received thus far. This just reaffirms to us our decision to open pre-orders, because we are seriously concerned we will not be able to meet the demand for Piston Consoles for the 2013 Holiday Season.

"In closing, what Valve does or doesn't do with its Steam Box will be up to them. So Gabe, it's up to you. The ball is in your court."

**Salodin** · 2013-03-13 01:12

Wtf is going on?

**Mazmaz** · 2013-03-13 01:52

inb4 Valve is some sort of Jay Leno equivalent of game companies.

**Qalbert** · 2013-09-20 11:28

http://store.steampowered.com/livingroom/
I can only assume this is related to steam box

**Qalbert** · 2013-09-23 12:00

SteamOS announced
http://store.steampowered.com/livingroom/SteamOS/

**Meresgi** · 2013-09-23 14:01

Fuck yeah i'm getting this. Linux w/ improved gaming performance too? I was going to end up installing CentOS anyways sometime.

**finitek** · 2013-09-23 19:43

This is huge news. I've been mulling over switching to linux full-time and this is only pushing me further in that direction. SteamOS probably deserves its own thread. Just sayin...

**Ksandra** · 2013-09-23 23:21

Originally Posted by Qalbert

SteamOS announced
http://store.steampowered.com/livingroom/SteamOS/

This pic is such a fucking lie:

It's really more like this:

**Kaisha** · 2013-09-23 23:26

I think that's supposed to be a cat sitting on a couch.

**Ksandra** · 2013-09-23 23:27

Originally Posted by Kaisha

I think that's supposed to be a cat sitting on a couch.

You obviously have never owned a cat.

**Kaisha** · 2013-09-23 23:30

I must have an awesome cat, since if she's not sleeping on my bed, she's outside.

I don't really know what to think about a Steam OS though. Something that's a companion for streaming from your PC, sure, but a dedicated OS? I'm completely ignorant to linux, but how's the driver situation for video cards these days on it?

**djzombie** · 2013-09-24 09:02

i wonder if you could use a significantly less powerful machine to receive your game stream on your tv, since your main desktop would be doing most of the work

also, steam os totally deserves its own thread.

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