It now seems that Xi3 has thrown its hat into the ring. After teasing the so-called Steam Box or the Xi3 Piston at CES 2013 in March, Piston has announced that it will be revealing some more information for its upcoming iteration of the living room PC. It will be revealing some new information tomorrow, with its main page stating that “The wait is over” with a countdown timer in place.

What could Xi3 possibly have in store with its Piston Consoles and how game-changing will they be? How will they compete with Valve’s own Steam Machines? We’ll find out tomorrow. Stay tuned for more information.

“Valve began some exploratory work with Xi3 last year, but currently has no involvement in any product of theirs,” Valve’s Doug Lombardi said in a statement.

It’s unclear about the status of the Steam Box since Valve has denied any workings with Xi3, so if they are indeed making a new console then who would be the manufacturer? Or have they cancelled their plans?

To this Xi3 released a statement of their own which you can check out below.

“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.”

Tell us what you think in the comments section below.

Valve’s Xi3 Piston console also called the Steam Box which is supposed to retail for $1000 has gotten a trailer and it looks pretty cool.

“Given the amount of awards, media attention and gamer interest the PISTON Console has generated since it was unveiled at CES 2013 in January, we’ve become seriously concerned that we will not be able to meet the demand for PISTON Consoles this year,” said Jason A. Sullivan, founder, president and CEO of Xi3 Corporation.

“That’s why we have decided to begin accepting pre-orders on our PISTON Console, beginning today with the start of the SXSW Gaming Expo. Gaming Expo attendees will also get the benefit of being the first to see the PISTON Console in action.”

This console is not the one that Valve has been developing along with Xi3, but it gives a good idea of how the Steam Box will be.

Check out the trailer below.

We have the codename for the Steam Box which is called Piston and is made by a company called Xi3. Valve is financially backing the said project and it was unveiled at CES 2013 as we had reported earlier.

Polygon has the first images and specs of the box, and the size of the Steam Box is quite small. It’s a bit surprising and also amazing because it looks so stylish. It is rumoured to be released this year, although, we don’t really have a lot of official information on that.

“Today marks the beginning of a new era for Xi3,” said Jason A. Sullivan , founder, President and CEO of Xi3.

“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.”

The box also features USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, four eSATAp ports, two Mini Display Port ports and one DisplayPort/HDMI port. Sounds pretty good.

Tell us what you think in the comments section below.