Sony to Launch New Game Console by End of Year

Sony’s powerful new PlayStation 4 Neo will launch later this year, reports say.

If that turns out to be the case, it means that the Neo will arrive almost a year ahead of Microsoft’s announced Project Scorpio, according to several sources that indicated the Neo’s release date to Eurogamer.

These reports surfaced after Sony decided not to showcase their newest console at E3 this year. Less a week before the L.A. gaming convention, Sony confirmed the existence of its newest system.

“Several sources have indicated to me that PlayStation Neo launches this year, despite its E3 no-show,” Eurogamer’s Richard Leadbetter said. Leadbetter previously confirmed Neo’s name and specifications, so it’s likely that his sources are reliable.

Neo’s absence from E3 prompted many to believe that the console’s release date would be pushed back. But these new reports seem to confirm the contrary.

Although Sony’s Neo and Microsoft’s Project Scorpio will be powerful new systems, they have both console manufacturers at a crossroads, according to Eurogamer.

Sony and Microsoft are promising gamers higher resolutions, more stable frame-rates, increased processing power, and other improvements over current generation consoles.

But both companies have to be careful not to “leave behind” owners of current consoles, Leadbetter notes in a Eurogamer article. While existing consoles are optimized for 1080p displays, the new machines are best played on 4K UHD. But while newer consoles will have graphic and processing improvements, it’s likely that the gameplay for games released for both current-gen and next-gen platforms will be essentially the same.

In fact, Sony has strict guidelines in place that prohibit game creators from making content exclusive to the Neo.

Whatever the new console brings to the table, it’s not too much of a stretch to say that the gaming world — and Microsoft — will be watching closely.