FORGET X factor vs Strictly or Quality Street vs Roses, there’s only one important head-to-head this winter – PlayStation 4 vs Xbox One.

Sony and Microsoft are both launching their next-generation consoles this month, the Xbox One going first this Friday (Nov22) and the PS4 following a week later.

The battle between the tech giants for consumers’ hearts, minds and – most importantly money – is set to be colossal.

Which console will be the best and which should you buy?

Unhelpfully, opinion among industry experts seems to be split just about right down the middle so far.

Some of those lucky enough to have got their hands on the new entertainment and games machines have praised the PS4 for having its nose in front on power and performance, saying some games could look better and run smoother on Sony’s kit than Microsoft’s.

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Others, however, have poured cold water on the idea this will be a huge difference in reality, with developers creating most games to work across both platforms and these are likely to look almost identical from one to the other. It may be that exclusive games on PS4 are marginally better looking than Xbox-only titles, but without direct comparison being possible it’s not going to be easily verifiable.

What’s for sure is both consoles come with similarly beefy hardware which represents a major step up in quality from each of their predecessors.

In other areas there is a win-some-lose-some pattern to the views from the specialists.

For instance, Microsoft’s roster of exclusive launch titles (including Forza Motorsport 5 and Ryse: Son of Rome) is causing more of a stir than Sony’s equivalent, but at the same time Sony has been given credit for the PS4 being likely to offer a better selection of quirkier indie games.

It’s heavily dependent on personal preference of course, but the PS4’s controller seems to have been very slightly better received than the Xbox’s, but another accessory – the motion-tracking camera – is seen as better on Microsoft’s machine than Sony’s.

The Xbox One will be quite a lot more expensive than the PS4 (£430 to £350), the reason for this being that it comes packaged with the higher-resolution body-movement Kinect device.

Microsoft’s console is being billed as the better option for people looking for an all-round entertainment system, owing to its integration with satellite and cable boxes along with what appears to be more of a focus on media consumption beyond just games.

Sony’s machine, meanwhile, is being seen more as a pure games console – and that’s the main reason why I will be going with the PS4 over the Xbox One.

It’s a very close call though as the new Xbox does look to be an extremely impressive system from everything I’ve seen of it so far. I’ve been a dedicated Sony customer for the last 12 years and for me to even consider switching is high praise for Microsoft’s console in itself as I very rarely switch my loyalties from brands I’ve invested in over a long period of time.

When it comes to the crunch of actually deciding which side to pick, I care far less about TV and video functionality or motion and voice control than I do about games capability – and I just feel the PS4 has the edge in this area. It’s open to conjecture of course and will come down to very slim differences but I just reckon the PS4 will offer better breadth and quality of games in the long run, and this for me is why I think Sony will eventually win this console war and is therefore the one to give my allegiance to.

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I’ve been a spare-time gamer for about 30 years and an enthusiastic writer on the subject for the past seven or so, but I don’t consider myself to be an authority. So here is a selection of comments from professionals who make a living out of playing with tech which may help with your own decision.

Engadget’s Sean Buckley says: “Sony and Microsoft have left consumers with a tough choice. Both systems promise excellent gaming experiences and new features that push the industry forward.

“On one hand, you have the PlayStation 4 toeing a traditional line of hardcore gaming: It features raw power, social sharing and a controller that's trying to be more than your typical gamepad.

“Across the aisle, Microsoft's Xbox One presents a unified hub for all of your media experiences, wrapping them in a highly stylized voice- and motion-controlled dashboard. With great exclusives and tons of multi-platform titles bound for each system, it's hard to say which console will come out on top.”

The team at Stuff are divided on which console is best.

Online editor Paddy Smith says: “While Sony's PS4 launch went heavy on gaming benefits, the Xbox One appealed to my sense of media unity. I'd love to bin my six remotes and have just the one. Scratch that - just the none. And while the TV utopia Microsoft's promising may be a way off perfection, I'm leaning towards its media hub smarts over the PlayStation's gaming prowess.”

But features editor Mark Wilson says: “Consoles still should still focus primarily on games, and I'm more excited by the PS4's exclusives (The Witness, Shadow Fall, DriveClub) and its embracing of indie developers.”

The Guardian’s Keith Stuart concludes: “If you want an all-round entertainment beast that will handle all your TV and movie needs as well as playing a very decent selection of games, go for Xbox One. If it's all about graphical performance and sheer variety of gaming experiences, PlayStation 4 may be the one for you.”

Andrew Williams, of Trusted Reviews, states: “There's no particular 'wrong choice' to be made between the two consoles at present. The PS4 is more powerful but there's unlikely to be many huge benefits for now, and the Xbox One has a stronger launch line-up.”

Other than the factors mentioned here along with your own brand loyalty and the important issue of which one your (or your kids’) mates might be buying, the best way to answer the questions of which console will be the best and which you should get is to actually spend time with both of them. Get some hands-on time in a shop or at one of the various pre-launch events being held. Get the controllers in your mitts, see what some of the games look like live, check out what else each machine can do – then you’ll get a clear idea of which side you should choose.

With two powerhouses competing for attention, whatever happens during the upcoming battle is likely to only be good for consumers – this is a great time to be a gamer!