Microsoft leaks a new Sony PlayStation console set for later this year

According to court documents, Sony is gearing up to launch a new PlayStation 5 Slim for $399 later this year.

Microsoft made the disclosure in the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) ongoing process to complete its $68.7 billion acquisition of Call of Duty maker Activision Blizzard.

In documents dated June 22, Microsoft claims that Sony is “expected to release a PlayStation 5 Slim later this year at the same discounted price” as its “cheaper digital edition at $399.99.”

However, the Japanese electronics maker has not confirmed a Slim model.

The leaks didn’t stop there, as Microsoft continued to speculate that Sony is also ready to launch a handheld version of PlayStation dubbed ‘Project Q’.

Microsoft intended to convince the judge that the Nintendo Switch was in the same markets as Xbox and PlayStation, but Sony’s upcoming console would further limit the company’s competitiveness, placing it in third place.

San Francisco U.S. District Judge Jacqueline Scott Corley is overseeing the case, and in June she ruled in support of a temporary restraining order filed by the Federal Trade Commission to prevent Microsoft from closing the deal.

Microsoft, the maker of the Xbox gaming system, has spent months trying to get global approval for the merger.

While several countries have approved the acquisition, regulators for two critical economies – the US and the UK – have taken action to stop the acquisition, arguing that it could stifle competition in the video game market.

The FTC took Microsoft to court last year to block the merger, but that case was referred to the U.S. agency’s internal judge in a trial set to begin Aug. 2.

The commission said it took its case to federal court this week because it was concerned Microsoft was trying to close the deal on short notice before the trial begins, making it “difficult if not impossible” to reverse course if the takeover is later found to be illegal.

Documents from the case have surfaced online, revealing that Microsoft may have announced Sony’s upcoming PlayStation before it had a chance.

Microsoft intended to convince the judge that the Nintendo Switch was in the same markets as Xbox and PlayStation, but Sony’s upcoming console would further limit the company’s competitiveness, placing it in third place

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“Sony is also expected to release a handheld version of PlayStation 5 later this year for less than $300,” the company, which is led by CEO Satya Nadella, wrote.

However, rumors of a handheld device called “Project Q” hit the web in May.

The device is designed to “play games installed on your PS5 and streamed over Wi-Fi,” PlayStation explains in the description of a teaser video posted on YouTube.

And Sony has confirmed that the device will launch “later this year.”

Project Q [is] a dedicated device launching later this year that will allow you to play any compatible game installed on your PS5 console using Remote Play over Wi-Fi,” Sony explained.

Featuring a vibrant 8-inch LCD display with a resolution of up to 1080p at 60fps, the device delivers crisp visuals and smooth gameplay streaming from your PS5 when you’re away from your TV.

“All the buttons and functions of the DualSense wireless controller, including adaptive triggers and haptic feedback, are present on the device.”

In regards to a slimmer PlayStation 5, Sony has developed a thinner model for the PlayStation 4, so an upcoming model isn’t that far-fetched.