While many hardcore console gamers have already preordered a PlayStation 4 or Xbox One, more casual gamers and eventual holiday shoppers are still making up their minds which next-generation console (if any) they'll buy. The two consoles will be released one week apart in November, and a poll commissioned by research firm Ipsos and Reuters is a bit of unwelcome news for Microsoft.

Just 15 percent of survey respondents said they were going to snap up an Xbox One, compared to the 26 percent who said they were planning to buy a PS4. And when it comes to the younger crowd, the news gets worse for Microsoft. Only 27 percent of survey respondents under the age of 40 anticipate getting an Xbox One, compared to the 41 percent planning to buy a PS4. Both consoles have seen strong preorder interest in the US since their unveiling.

Some of the diminished consumer enthusiasm for the Xbox One may be due to Microsoft's confused messaging in the months between its May unveiling and November 22 launch. During the Xbox One reveal, Microsoft spent a significant amount of time emphasizing its credentials as a living-room jack-of-all-trades as opposed to focusing on its gaming features. And some of the features it did show off irritated a significant chunk of Redmond's intended audience. Outcry from gamers in the weeks and months after its Xbox One reveal spurred Microsoft to abandon initial restrictions on used-game resale and a mandatory every-24-hour Internet check-in.

Since the PS4's unveiling (which failed show off the actual console), Sony has stayed on target with its messaging, emphasizing the PlayStation 4's bona fides as a gaming console. In contrast to the angst over some of the Xbox One design choices, the biggest technological controversy surrounding the PS4 has arguably been the question of whether or not it would support gameplay capture over HDMI.

Both consoles will be launching in mid-November with roughly the same number of launch titles (22 for the PS4 and 23 for the Xbox One). The PlayStation 4 bests the Xbox One when it comes to total announced games (79 vs. 55 as of late August) as well as price ($399 vs. $499). Those details, especially the cost, could be deciding factors for parents trying to discern which shiny new console should show up under the Christmas tree come December 25.

For many gamers, however, the choice has already been made. Diehard Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 fans will almost certainly upgrade to their successor consoles. If and when they get around to it, platform loyalty will almost certainly trump other factors.