I’m looking forward to Christmas more than a 34-year-old single man should. From December 21 I’m going to lock the door, unplug the phone and spend my time with the latest games consoles from Microsoft and Sony and a massive pile of games.

I think video games are great, and I’m delighted I’m not alone. I’m proud my industry is no longer considered the preserve of teenage boys. For better or worse, it’s now one of our favourite pastimes, with the average gamer now in their mid-30s, just like me. As a nation, we’re pretty good at making games too, contributing an impressive £1bn to the UK’s gross domestic product. The new consoles out this Christmas will help power the experience of gamers like me for the next five or more years, allowing talented developers to bring their ideas to life.

With the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One already predicted to be instant sell-outs when they’re available later this month, I’ve been fortunate enough to spend time with both and some of the games they will launch with.

l Microsoft Xbox One, £429.99 Having won the last round of the console wars with its Xbox 360, there are already doubts that Microsoft will continue this dominance. It’s £80 more expensive, and early previews of games released for both machines suggest it may not be as powerful. The Xbox One has a solid list of launch titles, but car racing game Forza 5 looks like the game to show off its next-generation capabilities. Be warned, it heavily features the voice of Jeremy Clarkson and the rest of the Top Gear team.

l Sony PlayStation 4: £349.99 Sony has made great play of its new machine being “designed by gamers, for gamers”, putting a range of gaming experiences at the forefront of its marketing.

Early indications are that the PlayStation 4 can outpace the Xbox One when it comes to graphical prowess, an achievement when you consider it’s the cheapest ever PlayStation launch in almost 20 years. War combat games Battlefield 4 and Call of Duty: Ghosts look incredible on the PS4 and the platform game Knack looks like a cartoon come to life.

Which console will win? It’ll take years, and possibly billions of investment from both companies to secure exclusives that we want to play.