Valve’s Steam Box revealed at CES

The long-rumoured Steam Box has finally been revealed at CES in LA.

Developed by the Utah-based Xi3, the hardware – currently going under the codename of ‘Piston’ – is designed specifically for use with Steam’s TV-friendly Big Picture mode.

Xi3 has confirmed that it has received investment from Valve. The ambition is for consumers to opt for a Steam-based unit under their TV as well as – or perhaps i9nstead of – a console.

Piston is currently still in the development phase. Hardware specs haven’t been officially revealed although a rep told Polygon that it will offer up to 1TB of storage, modular component updates and the ability to upgrade the CPU and RAM.

And no physical media inputs, of course.

Similarly specced hardware from the company is sold between $499-$999.

"Today marks the beginning of a new era for Xi3," Xi3 president and CEO Jason Sullivan stated.

"This new development stage product will allow users to take full-advantage of their large high-definition TV displays for an amazing computer game experience. As a result, this new system could provide access to thousands of gaming titles through an integrated system that exceeds the capabilities of leading game consoles, but can fit in the palm of your hand."

Image credit: Polygon