Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) chief Andrew House has admitted he’s surprised by the announcement of Microsoft’s Xbox Scorpio, given how far away the system is from release.
Speaking during an interview with The Guardian, House questioned the timing of the reveal, considering Scorpio isn’t due to drop in stores until holiday 2017.
"I was surprised by the step of announcing something over a year ahead of time," said House. "The dynamics of the tech industry are such that there’s a much heavier emphasis on immediate gratification than there was. A lot of that is to do with how Apple has very cleverly and elegantly managed the ‘available now’ approach. So yes, that was a slight surprise to me."
Sony, of course, is working on its own new hardware in the shape of the PlayStation 4 Neo. However, the company opted not to show it at E3 this week, House explained, instead simply confirming its development the week before.
"The point of confirming the existence of PlayStation 4 Neo and the bare bones of the plan last week was about not disappointing the fan base who would obviously come to E3 with high expectations of all kinds of announcements," he said. "And from past experience, the worst thing you can do is disappoint and pull the rug away from people. That’s why we went out last week and said, yes, it does exist but don’t expect to see it at E3. I think it was the right thing to do."
PS4 Neo is not a replacement for regular PS4, but expect prettier games
Sony’s PS4K, aka Neo, has been rumored for the past few months now, with a release date expected at some point in late 2016. The new hardware is tipped to be unveiled for the first time at the Tokyo Game Show in September.
In terms of performance, the PS4 Neo is set to feature improved specifications, allowing gamers to experience games with enhanced visual fidelity. House stressed however, that the system is not intended to be a replacement for the original PS4.