Is that the Sony PlayStation 4 or a blurry, black brick?

Sony has released a new teaser video for the PlayStation 4. But don't expect a full reveal for another month. 

Sony has finally released a video advert that shows off its new PlayStation 4 console. But before you get too excited, we should tell you that this may be the most frustrating teaser ad in the history of video games (it also may make you wonder if you need an eyeglasses prescription). 

The whole thing lasts about 40 seconds, and involves a lot of zooming in and out of a blurry black box somewhere in the middle distance. Once in a while, we get a close up, but nothing that would tell us anything significant about the design of the PS4, save for the fact (spoiler alert!) that it's... rectangular. 

In fact, Sony has said that a full unveil of the PS4 won't take place until June 10, at 6 p.m. Eastern – the date of the big Sony PlayStation event out in Los Angeles. So why issue this not-particularly-revealing advert? Well, the answer may have something to do with Microsoft. 

As many gamers undoubtedly know, on Tuesday, Microsoft execs – along with some kind of celebrity retinue; Brier Dudley of the Seattle Times thinks it might be a few actors from the most recent Star Trek movie – will debut the next Xbox console. (We don't actually know what the device will be called.) 

In a blog post, Larry Hryb of Microsoft said the press event will take place on the Xbox campus, in Washington state, and broadcast via live video stream. There, Mr. Hryb wrote, "we’ll share our vision for Xbox, and give you a real taste of the future. Then, 19-days later at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in Los Angeles, we’ll continue the conversation and showcase our full lineup of blockbuster games."

The new Microsoft Xbox console and the Sony PlayStation 4 are both expected to hit shelves this winter. 

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