Video game fans may face an agonising choice later this year after Sony announced its upcoming PlayStation 5 console will match the price of its rival Microsoft's new Xbox.

Axar.az reports that, the competing game machines will be released within days of each other, just as the Christmas and New Year shopping seasons get underway.

The PS5 will be available in Europe on November 19, while both next-generation Xbox consoles are out on November 10.

Sony's high-end PS5 will cost €499.99, the same price announced for Xbox Series X.

But the PS5 digital edition, a lower cost version that comes without an optical disc drive, will cost €399.99. The Xbox Series S, which is also digital-only, will cost €100 less.

With the prices so close to each other, it is likely to be the selection of games that will force consumers to choose between the two consoles.

Sony announced late on Wednesday that the PS5 consoles will feature a fresh selection of blockbusters, including Final Fantasy XVI, a highly-anticipated God of War title, and an open-world game set in the Harry Potter universe called Hogwarts Legacy.