Sony preps Playstation 4 for February debut

Sony has been understandably tight-lipped about its upcoming Playstation 4 system in recent months as the current console cycle winds down.

However, the Japanese-based company says it will be hosting a mystery event on February 20, during which the long-awaited next-gen console is expected to be unveiled.

“Sony is inviting investors and media to the Feb 20 event; that means console announcement,” Wedbush game industry analyst Michael Pachter tweeted in response.

Although official details about the upcoming system are scarce, the Wall Street Journal reports that Sony is working on a new video game console, which is likely to be the PS3’s successor.

According to the WSJ, Sony had also considered, yet ultimately rejected, a download-only model for the upcoming console. As such, the unit will include an optical disk drive in addition to offering download options for gamers.

Meanwhile, Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello recently said that his company is investing $80 million dollars in software development for “gen 4” consoles (PS4 and Xbox 720) during this fiscal year alone.

Interestingly, Riccitiello also noted that EA didn’t see Nintendo’s Wii U as being in the same category as the new consoles built by Sony and Microsoft.

“We see a pretty sharp distinction, and unfortunately I’m unable to go any further than that,” he added.