Valve and Xi3 team up for miniature gaming PC

Supporting Valve's Steam Network and user-friendly Big Picture mode from the outset, the Piston's impressively small size is combined with a unique modular design that should make it even more straightforward than usual to upgrade computer parts as and when required.

As for pricing, Xi3 already has two very similar products on its books. The X5A currently retails for $499, while a September 2012 Kickstarter drive saw the higher-spec X7A offered at $1,000.

It's the X7A which is most closely related to the Piston, as CMO David Politis told Polygon on the CES show floor. No further details were given regarding the Piston's own pricing, system specs, or launch date.

Similarly, no indication has been made as to whether the Piston is part of an exclusive deal between Valve and Xi3, or one of several partnerships.

The news comes at the start of a year in which traditional console manufacturers Microsoft and Sony are expected to announce home entertainment successors to the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, while three Android-based gaming devices are due by way of the Ouya, GameStick and Nvidia Shield, and new iPhone and iPads are rumored for March and June respectively.