Apple (NasdaqGS: AAPL - news) 's new Apple TV box, rumoured to be announced on September 9, will pose a threat to gaming giants Sony (Hanover: SON1.HA - news) and Microsoft (NasdaqGS: MSFT - news) as a revamped gaming device

Apple is poised to begin its big push into the living room with a new version of its internet television box designed to challenge Sony and Microsoft with advanced gaming features.

City sources with links to Apple's supply chain in the Far East (Kuala Lumpur: 5029.KL - news) said the new Apple TV was expected to come with a sophisticated controller designed to compete with Sony's PlayStation 4 and Microsoft's Xbox One.

The controller is believed to feature "haptic" touch sensors that respond to the force applied to them by the player's fingers.

Semiconductor industry sources also confirmed rumours that the Silicon Valley giant has significantly increased the processing power of Apple TV to allow the use of complex graphics. It (Other OTC: ITGL - news) means the new device is predicted to cost much more than the current Apple TV, which sells for under £60.

The announcement of a major expansion of Apple's video gaming ambitions is expected as part of its latest product update event, scheduled for Wednesday . One source who has seen manufacturing samples of the new Apple TV cautioned that the company could still delay the launch, however.

The San Francisco event will also unveil enhancements to the iPhone and Siri, the company's voice-control software, which competes with similar services from Google and Amazon .