Report: Sony will give the first glimpse of PlayStation Neo next month

Sony will soon show us exactly what it has in store for the PlayStation consoles, with a presentation on its half-generational step next month, according to reports.

First reported by French site Gameblog and then confirmed by Vice, Sony will show off the PlayStation Neo on Sept. 7 in New York City. Neo is the code name for the suped-up PlayStation 4, first rumored in March, that Sony confirmed just before E3. According to Sony's head Andrew House, it will support 4K resolutions and have improved processing power, but is not meant to directly replace the PlayStation 4.

“It is intended to sit alongside and complement the standard PS4,” he said in a Financial Times interview.. “We will be selling both [versions] through the life cycle.”

Sony may not plan to have the Neo -- sometimes called "PlayStation 4.5" -- in consumers hands until next year, and we may not see the console itself at this rumored event. (The PlayStation 4 itself wasn't shown at its announcement event in Feb. 2013; Sony opted to just show gameplay and reveal the hardware at E3.) Instead, Vice is reporting the event will be a "technical showcase," where we'll see gameplay. It will likely also focus heavily on virtual reality, as Sony's PlayStation VR headset is coming out the following month.

Sony may also be moving swiftly to get news about its Neo out before Microsoft can release more information about its similar console initiative, known only as Project Scorpio. Microsoft announced Scorpio's existence at its E3 press conference in June, but revealed few details. We know it will also support 4K gaming and have an improved processor, and will also not replace the Xbox One.

And if your life revolves following product announcement liveblogs, it's also potentially likely that the Sept. 7 one would fall on the same date as Apple's annual iPhone announcement.

We've reached out to Sony for any comment, and will update this story with developments.