Following the two console structure of Microsoft, it appears Sony will soon announce a PS4 Slim. The new, smaller, cheaper version of the current PS4 will supposedly release this fall, at the same time as the heavily rumored, and all but officially unveiled, PS NEO.
Speaking with The Wall Street Journal, sources have revealed the new model will be the focus of the upcoming press event next month. Many already assumed the event was for the official debut of the PS NEO. The press conference will take place September 7, in New York.
The dual console strategy will mirror that of Microsoft. At E3 in June, Microsoft showcased both the upgraded Xbox One S, and the even more upgraded Xbox Scorpio. While the Xbox One S can upscale games to 4K resolutions however, reports state the PS4 Slim will feature the same capabilities as the current PS4. In comparison, the NEO will introduce greater processing power and will allow for 4K gaming, much like the Scorpio.
In the run up to the conference next month, Sony has already cut production of PlayStation 4s to adjust inventory.
This all comes after multiple pictures and videos of the supposed new console appeared on NeoGAF.
Looking to confirm the pictures, Eurogamer tracked down the poster and has officially revealed that the images are legitimate. The site even posted a video of the console booting up. Following legal concerns, they then removed the video, but not before it was grabbed by others on YouTube. You can find the video for yourself here.
If the rumors turn out to be true, it would mean Sony is in fact releasing three different pieces of PlayStation hardware this fall. While we don’t have a release date for either of the consoles, the PS VR headset is scheduled to launch October 13.