Sony's PS4 will have the edge over Microsoft's Xbox One in the new games console battle which will erupt later this year according to feedback from Strategy Analytics' latest survey. According to the report, 14.2 percent of consumers are very or somewhat likely to buy a PS4 within the next twelve months compared to 9.5 percent who will buy an Xbox One. If the results were reflected in sales data this would imply that sales of PS4s would be nearly fifty percent higher than Xbox One. The survey interviewed a representative population sample of more than 6000 respondents across the US and Europe in June 2013.

"Our survey suggests that consumers believe the PS4 will win the early phase of the next generation console war," says Jia Wu, Director, Connected Home Devices (CHD). "Sony's performance at E3 was widely accepted as superior to Microsoft's, and the survey evidence suggests this has already fed through to the wider consumer market."

The report notes that the PS4 leads in both the US and Europe, in spite of the fact that Xbox 360 currently has a lead over the PS3 in the US. In the key 20-35 age group nearly 30 percent of respondents are very or somewhat likely to buy a PS4 compared to under 20 percent for Xbox One.

"There are still likely to be a few twists and turns before market launch," says Ed Barton, Director, Digital Media Strategies (DMS). "Microsoft has already demonstrated a willingness to listen to consumer concerns and it will now need to leverage the retention power of Xbox Live and invest in exclusive games if Xbox One is going to recover from its poor showing at E3."

Strategy Analytics conducted an online survey in June 2013. The sample consisted of 2062 individuals in the US and 4118 in Europe ages 15-74.