Sony PlayStation 4 will release after next Xbox

Kaz Hirai, the global chief executive of Sony, has suggested that the next generation PlayStation will not go on sale before Microsoft's Xbox 360 successor.

Asked about console release windows, Hirai told The Times: "why go first when your competitors can look at your specifications and come up with something better?".

It is not known if Hirai's views are shared by executives within the PlayStation business. One senior source told CVG that giving the next Xbox another long head-start would be "ridiculous" considering the ground Microsoft gained by launching the 360 a year before PlayStation 3.

Few in the industry suggest that the next Xbox and PlayStation will be released more than several months apart. It is also likely that both Sony and Microsoft executives have a clear understanding of their competitor's tech already, leaving less reasoning behind Hirai's claim.