Microsoft and Sony are preparing "Apple-style press conferences" to reveal their successors for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 respectively, a report in Game Informer suggests.
The reveals, which will reportedly happen "near the Game Developers Conference in late March", will allow both companies to give each new console their own limelight ahead of E3 in June, when next-gen software will be at the forefront.
"That doesn't mean E3 won't be without its surprises. Next-gen games will be announced at the convention in preparation for the systems' release at the end of the year," says the report.
Interestingly, the next PlayStation is apparently also set to release before the next Xbox.
"We hear that Sony in particular is determined not to come out last this time like the PlayStation 3 did this generation, so we'll have to see how soon it can get the PlayStation 4 out the door, and whether Microsoft is motivated to prevent this from happening."
Speaking to Chile technology site Emol, vice president of home entertainment at Sony, Hiroshi Sakamoto, says a big announcement is being planned by the company ahead of the annual gaming extravaganza.
When asked if Sony was planning to reveal new Sony hardware soon, Sakamoto said: "That's still a big secret, but our friends at Sony PlayStation are preparing. I can only say that we are focused on E3. An announcement may be then or even earlier in May."
When pressed if it would be a "big announcement" or something additional to what is already available to the PlayStation brand, Sakamoto responded: "Probably the first. In that time period we expect to deliver great news, but we must wait until May at the earliest."
By Gaetano Prestia