As any gaming fan might know, the Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, is happening this week. It’s the single largest event in the video game industry and gives fans some of the first glimpses at upcoming titles and, this year in particular, new gaming consoles like Microsoft’s Xbox One and Sony’s PlayStation 4.

This week also marks the first anniversary of Byte Size. During the past year, I’ve tried to cover a lot of subjects: Traditional table-top games, video games, apps, technical help and science news. I’ve done pieces for techies, pieces for Trekkies and everything in between.

But I also try to remember that not everyone who reads Byte Size is a geek or gamer.

New and emerging technology effects all of us these days, and there are plenty of folks out there looking for the hottest new game for a child, grandchild, spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend (girls game too).

While gaming fans might already be well aware of the events shaking up this year’s E3, plenty of the people who purchase games and consoles aren’t actually “hardcore” gamers.

So if you’re just looking at possibly buying one of these next-gen console as a Christmas gift for a loved one who loves gaming (both should be available at retailers for the holiday season), then this is for you.

For the past two generations of gaming, two consoles have generally led in game sales: Sony’s PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3, and Microsoft’s Xbox and Xbox 360, respectively. They’ve been virtually neck and neck in sales, with a consistent dynamic of Sony consoles being slightly more powerful, but also more expensive.

Old-schoolers Nintendo, while consistently doing interesting, innovative things and selling millions more Wii consoles than either of the other two, have been aiming at a different market altogether — one far less focused on the traditional gaming demographic.

That’s why this year’s E3 is so remarkable. Microsoft unveiled the Xbox One several weeks ago and earned an immediate backlash from fans. Gamers didn’t like the idea of the console needing a virtually constant Internet connection — even for single-player games, they didn’t like the idea of Microsoft’s Kinect camera-based technology being perpetually on and they really, really didn’t like the idea of not being able to share games with friends or buy and sell used games.

That’s why it wasn’t surprising that Sony earned a standing ovation from the E3 crowd after announcing that the PlayStation 4 would not require an Internet connection for single-player games and would allow gamers to trade used games.

What was surprising? The PlayStation 4 will cost $100 less.

Gaming fans lit up the Internet with unflattering comparisons to Microsoft’s much-maligned Zune music player and tech bloggers compared the PS4 announcements to an “Ali shuffle.”

Under the hood, the two consoles are nearly identical. Sony’s offering is slightly more powerful, but the more complex technological architecture of the Xbox makes up for it. But with the PlayStation 4 hitting shelves at $399 and the Xbox at $499, there is simply no reason to go with the Xbox One over the PS4.

It’s a devastating blow in such a competitive industry, a serious black eye (and PR nightmare) for Microsoft and a definite feather in Sony’s cap.

Of course, both consoles are months away from release, so there’s still time for Microsoft to make changes. And the Xbox One is not totally without redeeming features – with an HDMI port and a focus on digital television it will make a far better media center than its competitor.

But as it stands right now, Microsoft is playing Sonny Liston to Sony’s Cassius “Play.”