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The Xi3 Piston was a compact, HDTV-oriented Windows PC that could run Steam—not a Valve-owned or officially designated Steam Machine. Its roughly $1,000 starting price bought a small, upgrade-minded computer, but no gamepad, and contemporary coverage described its graphics performance as modest for the price.
What was the Xi3 Piston?
Announced in 2013, the Piston was a palm-sized x86 computer designed to connect to an HDTV. Ars Technica’s launch-era coverage listed a 3.2 GHz quad-core AMD processor, Radeon 7000-series graphics with 384 programmable cores, support for as many as three monitors, 12 I/O ports—including eight USB ports—and a 40-watt power draw. Xi3 described its modular motherboard as a way to make upgrades easier.
Those features made it a small living-room PC, not a conventional closed console. Its compact size and multiple display outputs suited a TV setup, while its computer hardware and operating-system options left more open what software it could run.
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The public statements about Valve’s relationship with Xi3 did not describe an official Valve product. Ars Technica quoted Valve as saying, “Valve began some exploratory work with Xi3 last year, but currently has no involvement in any product of theirs.” Xi3, meanwhile, said Valve had invested in the company, had asked it to build a product, and had shown the Piston with Xi3 at CES.
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Xi3 also directly rejected the assumption that the Piston was the official Steam Box. Company founder, president and CEO Jason A. Sullivan wrote: “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.” The distinction is important: an earlier investment or exploratory work did not make the Piston a Valve-owned or officially certified Steam Machine.
Steam was one option, not the Piston’s identity
Xi3 said the Piston would initially ship with Windows, could run Linux, and could access Steam as well as other online gaming and entertainment platforms. Sullivan explained the Windows choice this way: “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.” The statement describes Xi3’s launch-era plan, not a guarantee about every unit or later configuration.
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Because it was a PC with access to multiple platforms, Steam was a possible storefront rather than an exclusive system feature. That flexibility set it apart from a closed console, but also meant the buyer was choosing a small computer and its software environment—not a turnkey Valve console.
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Ars Technica put the base preorder price at about $1,000 in 2013. GameSpot reported these launch-era prices by SSD capacity:
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| Storage | Reported price | Source and date |
|---|---|---|
| 128 GB SSD | About $1,000 base price | Ars Technica, 2013 |
| 256 GB SSD | $1,339.99 | GameSpot, 2013 |
| 512 GB SSD | $1,749.99 | GameSpot, 2013 |
The $1,000 figure was a launch-era price, not a current market valuation. It was high compared with dedicated consoles of the same period, while the published graphics specification was not that of a high-end gaming PC. Ars Technica characterized expected performance as “OK-but-not-great” for contemporary games and warned that the price and power could leave the product in a “jack-of-all-trades middle ground.” Those were the publication’s period assessments, not results from a standardized benchmark.
A later hands-on report said the Piston was playable but that Call of Duty: Black Ops II seemed to test its limits. That is a contemporaneous impression from one report, not a universal measurement of performance across games or configurations.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.It did not come with a gamepad
Engadget’s interview coverage said the Piston would ship with Windows “sans controller,” and reported that Xi3 had not called it a Steam Machine. A buyer planning to play from the sofa therefore needed to supply a controller separately. A USB PC gamepad controller is the straightforward match for that documented omission; its cost would add to the real setup budget.
Quick Recap
How to think about the Piston’s trade-offs
- Price: The base preorder price was about $1,000 in 2013, with higher reported prices for larger SSDs.
- Controller: No gamepad was included according to the contemporary interview coverage.
- Operating system and stores: Xi3 said it would ship initially with Windows, could run Linux, and could access Steam and other platforms.
- Graphics: The published Radeon specification and period commentary point to a compact PC with limited gaming headroom relative to its price; the available hands-on note is not a standardized benchmark.
- Upgradeability and displays: Xi3 promoted a modular motherboard, and Ars Technica reported support for up to three monitors. Those features offered PC-style flexibility, but they did not establish that every component was user-upgradeable or that it would perform like a high-end gaming rig.
- Valve relationship: Xi3 described prior investment and a product request; Valve said it had no current involvement. Xi3 denied that the Piston was the official Steam Box.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
