Background

Microsoft and Sony announced that their next console generation will be launched almost concurrently: Xbox One (XO) on Friday, November 22 in the UK and 13 more countries. PlayStation 4 (PS4) will launch one week earlier than that in North America and one week later in Europe. [1]

Differentiators

The two consoles' differences are as follows - for their impact on the forecast see in the "Discussion" section below:

AMD Jaguar,

Price -- PS4's price point, at US$400, is 20% below XO, at US$500. [2]

CPU -- Both: Single-chip x86 AMD "Jaguar" processor, 8 cores8GB DDR3 2133mhz-- PS4: 8GB GDDR5 5500mhz; XO: 8GB DDR3 2133mhz,
plus 32MB eSRAMGPU -- PS4:cores; XO:

Hardware differences [Missing: Kinect should make a difference?]
Differences	PS4	XO	Comment
Price	US$400	US$500	PS4 is 20% cheaper
CPU	AMD Jaguar, 8 cores
RAM		8GB GDDR5 5500mhz
?	GPU
1152 ATI logic cores	768 ATI logic cores
Memory Bandwidth

Software differences

Both PS4 and Xbox One now seem to offer compatibility with prior generation games. Hence, the availability (or lack) of certain new game might influence the purchase decision. This needs an estimate of the attractiveness of each console's exclusive games.

176GBps	68.3GBps
Exclusive Games PS4	Exclusive Games XO

-- PS4: 176GBps; XO: 68.3GBps PS4 Exclusive games -- Binding of Issac: Rebirth, Deep Down, DriveClub, Everybody's Gone to the Rapture, Galak-Z: The Dimensional, Guilty Gear Xrd -SIGN-, Guns of Icarus, Helldivers, Hotline Miami 2: Wrong Number, inFamous: Second Son, Killzone: Shadow Fall, Knack, N++, Natural Doctrine, Octodad: Deadliest Catch, The Order: 1886, Rime, Rogue Legacy, TimeSplitters Rewind, Shadow of the Beast, Volume, War Thunder, Wasteland Kings, Wonder Flick, Yakuza Ishin; Xbox One Exclusive games -- Below, Cobalt, Crimson Dragon, D4, Dead Rising 3, Fable Legends, Fighter Within, Forza Motorsport 5, Halo 5, Killer Instinct, Kinect Sports: Rivals, Quantum Break, Peggle 2, Powerstar Golf, Project Spark, Rabbids Invasion, RYSE: Son of Rome, Sunset Overdrive, Zumba Fitness: World Party, Untitled Black Tusk Game

Opiniion polls

A poll by Reuters/Ipsos shows PS4 (26%) ahead of Xbox One (16%) when asking consumers for their expected purchase preference. [6]

Expert opinions

Analyst Michael Pachter sees PS4 ahead for the start, merely arguing better demand planning by Sony. [5]

Expert opinions

1. Michael Pachter Reckons That the PS4 Will Outsell the Xbox One at Launch Link: http://www.pushsquare.com/news/2013/09/michael_pachter_reckons_that_the_ps4_will_outsell_the_xbox_one_at_launch/ - PushSquare, 29 September 2013

Discussion of differentiators

1. Balance or Power? Comparing Xbox One and PS4 Hardware - GameFront, 23 September 2013

External Links

1. Xbox One release date - Metro, 4 September 2013
2. PS4 vs. Xbox One vs. Wii U Comparison Chart - IGN
3. PS4 vs. Xbox One Games - IGN
4. Xbox One Hardware & Analysis: Comparison to Playstation 4 - Anandtech, 22 May 2013
5. Michael Pachter Reckons That the PS4 Will Outsell the Xbox One at Launch Link: http://www.pushsquare.com/news/2013/09/michael_pachter_reckons_that_the_ps4_will_outsell_the_xbox_one_at_launch/ - PushSquare, 29 September 2013
6. Sony's PS4 tops Xbox One as gamers' holiday choice Link: http://in.reuters.com/article/2013/09/29/us-microsoft-sony-poll-idINBRE98S08C20130929 . Reuters, 29 Sep 2013