PS4 Pro: How much will it cost and what games are coming?

PS4 Neo release: What to expect and how to watch it

06 September

September 7 won't just be a big day for Apple fans with the expected launch of the iPhone 7 in San Francisco. Sony is gearing up for an event of its own in New York, with new versions of the PlayStation 4 rumoured to be on the way.

Here's what's likely to appear:

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The PS4 Neo

Top of the agenda will be the so-called PS4 Neo – an updated, more powerful version of the existing console, with faster processors, better graphical qualities and quite possibly support for 4K gaming if you have a 4K ready TV.

Sony quietly confirmed the existence of the console earlier this year, though it hasn't been seen or heard of since. The event on Wednesday evening will be the new console's full debut.

The upgraded 4K graphics and improved processor speeds make the console sound like a PS5, though there's one very good reason why the console will still be referred to as a PS4 – it'll share the same game disks and online environment as the older console, and is intended to sit alongside it as a premium option rather than replace it.

There will be no exclusive titles, though game discs will have special Neo modes built into them, unlocked when inserted into the new PlayStation. Upcoming Sony hardware like the PlayStation VR will be compatible with both standard and Neo versions of the PS4, though it's fair to assume the experience on the Neo will be more immersive.

Eurogamer says we'll get a demonstration of the console's capabilities, plus details like a price tag and release date.

A new, slim, standard PS4

It won't be the only new PlayStation on show though, and the current device looks set to be replaced by a smaller, slimmer version.

PlayStation has a history of introducing so called "Slim" versions of its consoles after they've been on sale for a while and the PS4 Slim has already been extensively leaked. As Alphr reports, the unannounced device hit the web last month after one was spotted for sale on Gumtree.

In appearance, there's not much of a change – it's the same angular black box, just much smaller and with rounded corners. The Verge says it could come with some additions under the bonnet, given that the new Xbox One S has support for 4K video playback, but overall it's not intended to be a console you'll effectively upgrade to. The slim version is likely to go on sale immediately.

The Verge adds that new games, plus a new PlayStation controller, will also be on show.

How can I watch it?

The event will start at 8pm UK time on Wednesday 7 September, and the best places to watch live streaming of the reveal will be PlayStation's YouTube channel, Twitch channel, or on the official PlayStation blog.

You might be able to watch it through your PS4 or PS3 too, if Sony places an app on the home screen prior to the event.

PS4 Slim console leaked on Gumtree

22 August

It isn't too much of a shock to hear of an all-new PlayStation – after all, the internet has been anticipating the arrival of the PS4 Neo for months now. However, the latest report has taken everyone by surprise.

A new console, the PS4 Slim, has been fully outed after going up for sale on online auction house Gumtree, prompting speculation that Sony is about to release two new PlayStation consoles.

The company is set to host a special PlayStation event next month in New York, where it's assumed the 4K capable PlayStation Neo will be unveiled. Now this slimmed-down version of the original console looks likely to arrive too.

The legitimacy of the pictures cannot be proven, says Alphr, but it's not hard to imagine the console being real, considering Sony's track record of introducing smaller versions of its PlayStation hardware after a few years on sale.

Given that the console has already appeared on an auction site – and been bought for £295 – a launch looks imminent. The PS4 Slim could go on sale immediately after its now-expected reveal on 7 September, with the beefed-up Neo arriving either this Christmas or at some point next year.

It would arrive just in time too – Microsoft has already pulled the trigger on a new Xbox One console, the Xbox One S.

Much like the PS4 Slim, it's a smaller version of the original but with the addition of one or two new features, such as high dynamic range gaming and 4K video playpack capabilities.

At the moment, there's no indication the PS4 Slim will pack such improvements. All we know is that it should be arriving very soon.

PS4 Neo: Could we see the console next month?

16 August

Sony will reveal its updated and more powerful PlayStation 4 at a launch event in New York on 7 September, according to reports.

Vice says it has heard from "multiple sources familiar with the matter" the first look at the so-called "PS4 Neo" is just around the corner, although information regarding a release date is still absent.

GameSpot says the 7 September date puts the reveal a week before the Tokyo Games Show, which had been touted as a likely time and place for the console's debut. The two back-to-back events mean plenty of information and gameplay are likely to be heading our way soon.

Sony revealed it was working on a new PlayStation 4 in June, after months of rumours.

While many have pinned the console down as being able to play games in 4K resolution, the only thing official news so far is that the Neo exists, 4K will feature in some way and the console will sit alongside the current PS4. Games games will work on the two systems and players will share online arenas.

Both consoles will be compatible with Sony's upcoming PlayStation VR headset, which is set to be released in October.

It's believed Sony could bring the new console to market by the end of the year, leapfrogging Microsoft substantially. The US company will introduce its Xbox One Scorpio – another upgraded 4K games console – towards the end of 2017.