Strap yourselves in, boys and girls, because the next PlayStation is coming - and sooner than you think.
In less than three weeks, Sony will hold an event dedicated to unveiling its next video game console, the successor to the PlayStation 3.
Citing "people familiar with the matter," the Wall Street Journal confirmed that the next PlayStation will be on display at Sony's Feb. 20 event, and that the company will release the system later this year to compete with Microsoft's Xbox 360 successor and Nintendo's Wii U.
Speculation started flowing when Sony originally posted a teaser video on the PlayStation blog Thursday evening under the simple header of "See the future."
The video is 45 seconds long, but doesn't actually show any hints of the next video game console. It's mostly composed of 3D renderings of the symbols found on the buttons of the PlayStation controller.
What's more, Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter tweeted that "Sony is inviting investors and media to the Feb 20 event; that means console announcement."
There's been no official confirmation that a new PlayStation console will be shown off at the get together, but clearly all signs are pointing towards yes.
Although earlier reports indicated that both Sony and Microsoft would hold their own events to reveal new consoles instead of waiting for the Electronic Entertainment Expo, soon afterwards Sony CEO Kazuo Hirai seemed to pour cold water on the idea.
""Why go first, when your competitors can look at your specifications and come up with something better?" he said.
Which just goes to show: Never believe what Kazou Hirai says.
It's hard to say just how much information we'll get about Sony's new system, but it's obviously the best chance yet to confirm or deny some of the rumors floating around the Internet.
In addition to reporting that the next PlayStation will be on hand, the WSJ said that Sony's next console will focus more on software, social gaming, and offering different ways for users to interact with games.
Previous reports have pointed towards a redesigned controller for the system, possibly one that incorporates a touch screen and biometric sensors.
Unfortunately, backwards compatibility with the PS3 is no sure thing, as the WSJ said the system's new architecture will make it difficult to support games built for its predecessor.
It's also been rumored that the PS4 will be 50 percent more powerful than the next Xbox, though that's kind of hard to confirm either way until Microsoft makes their move, too.
Lots of questions, to be sure, but Feb. 20 is pretty close. Stay tuned.
