Sony announces PlayStation Meeting event for September 7 following PS4 Neo rumors

We may learn details about the PlayStation 4 Neo next month.

Sony is holding an event in New York City on September 7 called the “PlayStation Meeting.” The company is inviting the media to the gathering to discuss its future, and this could mean that it will talk more about the PlayStation 4 Neo console. The Neo is an upgraded PS4 with more horsepower and a focus on 4K content, and it’s important because it will help the company maintain a high price for its system. Sony Interactive Entertainment boss Andrew House confirmed the new machine exists in an interview prior to the Electronic Entertainment Expo earlier this year, but it looks like the company will share all the specifics in early September.

Yesterday, rumors suggested Sony would hold an event for the Neo in New York City at some point in September. Today’s invitation is right in line with those reports.

The timing of this event also makes it possible that the Neo will launch at retail before the gift-giving holidays. Microsoft recently debuted the Xbox One S, which is a slimmer and refined version of its original 2013 model. While the company is planning to debut a Neo equivalent called Xbox One Scorpio in 2017, it is selling the S as its high-end model through the rest of this year and into the next. Sony is jumping out early with a new GPU and CPU inside the Neo.

Sony and Microsoft are taking diverging paths to get to the same result. They want to sell the same platform at a slightly higher average price. The Xbox One S is still only available in the $400 2TB model, and you can bet that the Neo will come out somewhere in the same range. SIE is one of Sony’s only profitable divisions, and it wants to maximize that income by selling a more expensive PS4 that has better margins.