With the launch of Sony's next-gen console just a few days away, many gamers will be spending the rest of the week soaking in all the PS4 console previewsand hands-on impressions that they can find. Although the spotlight is on the PS4 this week, the folks at Microsoft are determined to make sure consumers don't forget that the Xbox One will be arriving in stores just a week later, on November 22. In an effort to ensure the Xbox One arrives in style, Microsoft has events planned all around the world to get fans pumped up for the arrival of the next generation of gaming.

For most shoppers, the real party will start at 12:01 am on November 22 when more than 10,000 retail locations in 13 countries will open up shop for Xbox One midnight release events.  The celebrations, which are happening everywhere from Auckland to Sydney to New York, will be live-streamed for fans that can't attend. Interested parties can virtually join the celebrations by tuning in to Spike TV, Xbox.com, or Xbox Live. The show kicks off at 11 pm ET/8 pm PT.

Microsoft corporate VP of marketing and strategy, Yusuf Mehdi, explained that the company hopes the millions of Xbox fans around the world will join in on the celebration and help count down the final hours before the Xbox One arrives.

"Xbox One will be the biggest launch in the history of Xbox and we can’t wait to celebrate with our fans."

In the US, fans are invited to celebrate in Times Square at the Best Buy Theater. Soon-to-be Xbox One owners will be visited by zombies, Roman soldiers, and supercars to help set the mood. The first 1,000 people in line outside the Best Buy Theater will be invited to an exclusive concert to culminate the extravagant launch event. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis (Thrift Shop, Same Love) will be performing a special concert for those first 1,000 Xbox One shoppers. Consumers will need to purchase an Xbox One or an Xbox One game, as well as being one of the first 1,000 people in line in order to be invited to the concert.

Shoppers on the west coast will also have the chance to experience some live music. In addition to the gameplay stations that will be set up at Milk Studios, the first 500 people to purchase an Xbox One or Xbox One game will be invited to celebrate with an exclusive performance by deadmau5. If you're over 18 years old and interested in either concert event, you can get the details at the Xbox One launch site.

If you aren't lucky enough to make it to one of the concert events, there will still be plenty of coverage from around the world to keep you entertained from the comfort of your couch. The events will kick off in Auckland, New Zealand where fans will be able to play Xbox One titles, while DJs perform during the countdown to midnight. The coverage will continue in Sydney Harbor, Paris, and Spain as the party rages across the globe.

Although staying at home and celebrating sounds like fun in theory, it seems more likely that most fans that haven't already pre-ordered the console will be out waiting in lines all day or driving from store to store hoping to find a retailer with a few extra units. Although the Xbox One has faced no shortage of pre-launch drama and problems, the next-gen console has still managed to double the number of Xbox 360 pre-orders and will likely be difficult to find for shoppers that didn't lock in a pre-order weeks ago.

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Xbox One releases on November 22, 2013.

Follow Denny on Twitter @The_DFC.

Source: Xbox