More than a decade ago, the Sony Corp. executive credited as the "Father of the PlayStation" predicted that one day videogames wouldn't require a console, because the hardware would eventually "melt" into a network that linked players together. All they would need, Ken Kutaragi said, is a display and a controller.

As Sony prepares to take the wraps off a new home console, it will take one major step closer to that vision. The Japanese electronics conglomerate's next PlayStation will allow users to play...