The much-awaited PS4 release date may be announced as early as this week come Gamescom, PlayStation U.K. has revealed that there is, at least, one thing to look forward to at the upcoming Gamescom.

"We'll be kicking off the show at 18:00 BST on 20 August 2013 with a briefing to media on our release plans for PlayStation 4, as well as updates on PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita."

It's good to hear that, even with the dawn of the next-gen consoles, Sony will not leave the PS3 behind. And given the company's drive towards positioning the PS Vita as the ultimate PS4 companion, it is likely that there will be big plans for the handheld as well.

In light of the release date, a new feature for the PS4 has also surfaced, after Sony signed a deal with Viacom. Now, it seems that the Xbox One will not be the only next-gen console that has Internet TV capabilities.

Depending on the market, an Internet TV that grants you access to live TV shows off the Internet, instead of going with the likes of Netflix, which, as ExtremeTech reports, has a time-delayed component, can be a very integral part in a console that wants to become a major player in the living room.

This is what Microsoft has been aiming for when it released a series of policies and changes from the Xbox 360, and the entertainment factor may have set it apart as more than just a gaming console.

As early as E3 2013, Sony has already mentioned the Internet TV feature on the PS4, though not as elaborately as Microsoft had done with the Xbox One, which had led people to believe that it has lost it essence as a gaming console.

ExtremeTech adds that Sony may be going the entertainment route as well, having approached Disney and Time Warner for programming deals in time for a launch alongside the release of the console on Day One.

Whether or not this goes well in favor of Sony remains to be seen, but so far, the company hasn't made a big of a misstep as Microsoft had.

Xbox One delay for some countries not a problem

If you are one of the eight countries for which Microsoft has announced a delay for the Xbox One, go easy on switching to the PS4 just yet, as Microsoft was quick to follow-up the statement with a nod to its region lock-free feature in all Xbox One consoles.

"When the console launches this November, we will support Xbox One in 13 markets. Xbox One may be used in all countries, including the non-launched markets. In addition, Xbox One games are not region locked. Any Xbox One game purchases at retail can be used in any country on any Xbox One," according to the official statement quoted by Polygon.

Various reports have already confirmed that Microsoft's next-gen console will not be region locked which means that, if you really want to get your hands on an Xbox One before 2014, you can easily buy it from any of the 13 countries that will receive it on schedule. That is, if you do not need the voice support for some of the languages in the dashboard.

The delay has been reported to be an issue of localisation, rather than a supply shortage. But there have also been previous reports that stated an included game for the areas that will be receiving the delayed Xbox One.

The choice seems to be either getting the Xbox One on time or getting it with complete language features and a bonus game.

New feature for Xbox One: A smart console?

For avid fans of Xbox 360, one of the major problems that can cut into nonstop gaming is overheating. Just when you're about to clear that level, the half ring circle of red makes you realize that the game is over before you can get to the last stage.

This time, Microsoft has taken precautionary measures in order to give fans a better way to enjoy their next-gen gaming.

"With the architecture of the Xbox One, is that we can dial back the power of the box considerably. We had a little less flexibility with the 360," said Leo del Castillo, Xbox GM of Console Development, in an exclusive with Gizmodo.

"Xbox One can actually dial it back to a lower power state, so low in fact that it can in a mode that uses virtually no air flow."

Of course, tradeoffs are to be expected and the flexibility in power can sacrifice some areas in the gaming. While Microsoft itself doesn't have the details of what the self-cooling mechanism can do to the performance, there will surely be a lot of updates and close watches for the next-gen console.

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