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The big question on Push Square's lips this week was whether Sony would reveal PlayStation 4K at E3 2016. We came to the conclusion that the manufacturer would have to chat about the souped-up system – after all, it would be embarrassing to watch the organisation deflect every question about the appliance given just how much has already leaked. As it happens, it has announced the new hardware – but on the eve of the Los Angeles-based event instead.

The news broke unexpectedly earlier today, courtesy of a Financial Times article. Group president Andrew House didn't say much, but he revealed the all-important facts: the format is real, it's for hardcore gamers looking for a little extra horsepower, and it will coexist alongside the current console. We're sure that this was all part of a carefully coordinated plan by the company to get the facts across, but it all seemed quite effortless in the end, didn't it?

There are still questions to be asked about the console, of course – exactly how much will it cost, and what new features will it enable. And that's a delicate tightrope that the organisation will still have to cross at some point: it needs to make PS4K look attractive without upsetting existing owners. But by confirming that the new system will complement its current counterpart, it should have at least allayed fears that the existing model is about to be replaced – it's not.

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And that's probably the best that we could have hoped for. Now, with confirmation that the system will debut at a later date, attention can turn back to E3 2016 and the software that Sony will have on show. The PS4K – or Neo as it's known in some circles – has sucked a little of the life out of the Japanese giant's media briefing, with industry attention on hardware rather than games. But by removing the device from the equation, our interest lies elsewhere.

The interesting thing about this year's show, as we alluded in our predictions article, is that the platform holder's been pretty darn quiet for a while now. There are inevitable announcements that we're anticipating, of course; Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare will be at the media briefing in full force, as will Horizon: Zero Dawn and PlayStation VR. But outside of the obvious inclusions, we really struggled coming up with a complete set of press conference predictions.

And that's exciting, because the firm's at its best when it silently surpasses expectations. Last year is a great example: we expected a poor showing – and we got the greatest of all time. With the PS4K now articulately removed from the running, we get the distinct impression that Sony's waiting quietly for its show to get underway. And we actually hope that nothing leaks at this point, because we get the feeling that the firm's biding its time, and about to blow our minds.


Are you feeling a little more comfortable about the PS4K now? Are you happy that the hardware will be skipping its press conference? Start a last-minute hype train in the comments section below.