At CES, we got a look at the first “Steambox.” It was called the Xi3 Piston, and it was seen as a very real challenge to incumbent console manufacturers as it packed the power of a gaming PC into a small, affordable package.
The affordable moniker may not apply anymore as Xi3 has revealed that the Piston will cost $1,000 when it launches later this year. It can preordered now for $100 off, but the device is still pretty expensive for a computer with specs similar to the recently announced PS4.
The Piston is a fully-functioning PC built for the living room so the device is going to be compared to consoles. It can’t possibly win out in terms of price, so Xi3 will have to appeal to gamers who want to do more than their consoles will allow.