It is no surprise that Reuters/Ipsos poll has indicated that American consumers prefer the incoming Playstation 4 to its rival, Xbox One, just over a month before both systems are released.

41 percent of consumers under 40 said that they would prefer to have the PS4. Overall, 26 percent chose the PS4 while 15 percent supported the Xbox One. 1,297 were polled in total.

There could be a number of factors relating to PS4's early lead in consumer preference. Firstly and most obviously, the Xbox One will cost $100 more and yet the game consoles are so similar that most people cannot tell much of a difference in the actual gameplay, but even if so, it isn't a $100 difference.

Another difference could be the timing of the release date announcement. PS4 announced a release date much sooner than the Xbox One, and this has followed through into the actual release date - the PS4 will be released sooner.

A third reason could stem from early perceptions of the Xbox One. Microsoft initially declared that the system would only be able to be played online. This cuts into a significant portion of gamers who play without an Internet connection and would thus put a serious dent in Xbox One sales. Microsoft has since reversed its stance and now the game console will, indeed, be available to play without an Internet connection.

What could help Xbox, however, is brand loyalty. Many Xbox gamers have been on the Microsoft bandwagon since the Xbox series began with the original game console. After the Xbox 360, the Xbox One will now mark the third Xbox console.