Poll: More Consumers Eyeing PS4 Over Xbox One

The holiday shopping season is still weeks away, but Sony already appears to have a leg up over its gaming-console competition.

According to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll, more U.S. shoppers are eying the PlayStation 4 than Microsoft's Xbox One.

More than a quarter of the almost 1,300 people surveyed said they are likely to purchase Sony's upcoming PlayStation; only 15 percent chose the Xbox One.

Unsurprisingly, Sony's cheaper option is getting more attention, priced at $400 — a full $100 less than Redmond's next-gen Xbox. The Xbox One, however, includes the new Kinect.

Both machines are expected to hit shelves in November.

The reported purchasing divide continues to grow among the more youthful, less wealthy crowd: 41 percent of gamers 40 years and younger are leaning toward Sony, compared to the 27 percent keeping their fingers crossed for an Xbox One this year.

"Though based on a limited sample, the results potentially point to a lopsided battle during the crucial holiday season," Reuters said about its online survey.

Not everyone is in the market for a new console, though. According to Reuters, 64 percent of total respondents have no plans to purchase new game hardware this season, including the Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo 2DS, and Valve's Steam Box.

Microsoft has faced some public relations battles this year over Xbox One features. It was forced to drop an Internet connection requirement and announced that the console would work without the Kinect sensor, though it will still be bundled with the console.

"We continue to see unprecedented demand for Xbox One, and our Xbox One pre-order supply is selling out quicker than any time in Xbox history," a Microsoft spokeswoman said in an emailed statement. "Xbox One pre-orders are outselling Xbox 360 pre-orders in the same period by a factor of 2:1 and this will be the biggest Xbox launch in history."

Sony did not immediately respond to PCMag's request for comment.

The console war may get an international boost this year, thanks to China's reported decision to lift the country's game console ban. China's State Council allegedly approved a new set of rules as part of the free-trade zone within Shanghai. This opens the doors for manufacturers like Sony and Microsoft to sell their consoles in China, assuming the Ministry of Culture approves the devices.

For more, see PCMag's comparison of the two upcoming consoles, as well as PS4 Wins E3, But Xbox One Will Win the War.

Editor's Note: This story was updated at 3:30 p.m. Eastern with comment from Microsoft.