The PS4 has been the next gen console of choice in many gamers' eyes ever since it was first debuted at E3 earlier this summer. Since that time however, the Xbox One has been trying to catch up, and it was reported Wednesday that it would be released at a very competitive date compared to the PS4.

"It's official: the Xbox One will be released on Friday, November 22 in the UK and at the same time in all 13 launch countries. That's exactly one week before the PlayStation 4 in Europe, although a week after Sony's console in North America," reports metro.co.uk.

Nov. 15 is the date for the PS4's launch in the United States, and it appears that the Xbox One wants to stay close to that date and make sure to release before the holiday shopping season gets underway. Thanksgiving falls on November 28th this year, and marks the official beginning of the shopping season.

The 13 launch countries for the Xbox One are as follows: Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, Spain, UK, and USA. The folks at Sony have already said that the PS4 already has over a million pre-orders, and while no statistics have been released on Xbox One pre-orders, Microsoft seems to be happy with how it has been selling thus far.

"We are humbled and gratified by the tremendous interest in Xbox One from game fans everywhere," said Yusuf Mehdi, Microsoft's Corporate Vice President of Marketing, Strategy and Business. "We have sold out of our pre-order supply in the U.S. faster than at any other time in our history and we are on path to have the biggest launch of an Xbox ever."

That's good news considering that the Xbox One has had to scramble to recover after stumbling at the beginning of its race with the PS4. Gamers were immediately hostile to most everything about the Xbox One at E3, and the company had to switch up its strategy mid-race to stay competitive.

For one, gamers complained about an "always-on" DRM policy that they viewed as being completely unnecessary and cumbersome. Microsoft responded by scrapping that policy. When consumers grumbled about the additional $100 they would have to spend on the Xbox One ($399 for PS4 vs. $499 for Xbox One), Microsoft again responded in turn, offering up a free game with all pre-orders, effectively cutting $60 off the price tag to those who enjoy either the FIFA or Forza game titles.

What do you think, is the Xbox One quickly becoming a competitive option in its race against the PS4? Comment below and let us know which console you have on your wish list this holiday season.