According to a recent poll, while the PlayStation 4 has the advantage over the Xbox One as we approach the systems' November release dates, gamers overall seem to be taking a wait-and-see approach when it comes to the next-gen consoles.
In a poll conducted by Reuters/Ipsos that surveyed 1,297 people, 26 percent said that they were planning to buy the PlayStation 4 when it becomes available starting Nov. 15. In comparison, 15 percent of those surveyed were planning to buy the Xbox One around the Nov. 22 release date for the console.
The PlayStation 4's popularity is even more pronounced when considering the opinion of those under the age of 40. Of this critical group, 41 percent chose the PlayStation 4, compared to the 27 percent that said they will buy the Xbox One. According to Reuters, the polling data suggests the PS4 holds an early lead over the Xbox One among potential customers:
"Though based on a limited sample, the results potentially point to a lopsided battle during the crucial holiday season, with Microsoft and Sony hoping to get their newest consoles into U.S. households. Apart from games, they act as conduits for living-room entertainment, from TV shows to music."
However, possibly the biggest revelation concerning the upcoming holiday season is that the vast majority of those polled do not plan on buying any new video hardware at all this holiday season: 64 percent said they won't buy the PlayStation 4 or the Xbox One, or any other new consoles such as the Nintendo 2DS, Ouya, or the prototype Steam Machines. Console manufacturers may have a problem on their hands convincing gamers to switch over to the next generation of consoles, as the current consoles still have plenty of life left in them due to blockbuster titles such as Grand Theft Auto 5 and the various media outlets the consoles provide such as Netflix and Hulu.
The poll also reinforces the struggles of Nintendo's Wii U. Of those surveyed, 3 percent stated that they currently play Wii U games, compared to the 18 percent playing PlayStation 3 games and the 20 percent playing Xbox 360 and PC games, respectively.
While it looks like the PlayStation 4 has the initial advantage over the Xbox One at release time, considering those holiday hold-out gamers, it looks like it will be several years before the true No. 1 next-gen video game console is established.