Sony working on higher-powered version of PlayStation 4

Sony is working on a new, higher-powered version of the PlayStation 4 console, but it will not be unveiled at the E3 gaming convention which begins on Monday.

Sony Interactive Entertainment president Andrew House told the Financial Times that the new console, which is believed to be codenamed "Neo", will "sit alongside and complement" the current generation PlayStation 4.

The new console will support games in 4K definition for the first time, Mr House said, though a price and release date were not disclosed.

On Monday, Sony will be among a host of the largest names in video gaming who will hold showcase events in Los Angeles as part of the opening of E3, the huge video games convention that runs until Thursday.

The latest instalment in popular war-based shooting series Call of Duty will be among the titles featuring at the event, while Microsoft is also expected to announce a new, slimmer version of the Xbox One console.

Following the press conferences around 50,000 visitors will descend on the Los Angeles Convention Centre for three days of hands-on time with the newest games.

Virtual reality is also expected to feature heavily during the convention, with Sony expected to give more details on their PlayStation VR system which will launch later this year and is set to be the first high-end virtual reality system not to require a gaming laptop in order to run - instead plugging into the PS4 console.

There have also been reports that Microsoft may announce a partnership with the Facebook-owned Oculus Rift virtual reality headset.