Along with the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus handsets, Apple is expected to announce a new version of another product line during its 9 September media briefing.

After three years, the current Apple TV will be replaced with a new model that is tipped to be primarily aimed at grabbing a large slice of the games console pie.

The new Apple TV will still have access to video and music streaming apps and services, such as Apple's own iTunes and Apple Music platforms, but the New York Times claims that insiders say it will offer games to download too.

Previous rumours have suggested that the new box will come with Apple's current A8 processor, a user interface based on iOS 9, a remote that might have motion functionality, and 16GB of storage, but the latter suggests that its gaming ambitions lie more in the Amazon Fire TV mould than as a competitor to Xbox One or PS4.

READ: Apple's next Apple TV (2015): What’s the story so far?

Most likely is that it will offer access to iOS games that can be adapted to work comfortably on a big screen. Many already work with third-party gamepads connected to an iPad or iPhone.

However, like it did with the iPod touch a few year's back, the NYT's anonymous sources state that Apple will definitely be marketing the new Apple TV as a gaming device as its primary selling point. And this could definitely put a few cats among the pigeons in the gaming field considering Apple's undoubted global reach.