Sony dangled the possibility of the imminent announcement of its next-generation PlayStation 4 console on Friday, sending out invitations to journalists for a 20 February press conference on “the future of PlayStation”.

The tantalising prospect ignited discussion on games blogs and sites around the web, with gamers keen to see an update to the ageing console.

Michael Pachter, an analyst with Wedbuch Securities, said in a tweet that “Sony is inviting investors and media to the Feb 20 event; that means console announcement. I’m genuinely excited”.

The company declined to say whether it will actually release a new product at the event in New York. “We will be talking about the PlayStation business,” a spokesman told the Reuters news agency.

Sony executives have said that the PS3 is now a profitable business after some years of losses – typical for a games console.

SOURCE