PS4: 52% of Australians with new consoles will chuck a sickie on Friday - poll

SCE Australia polled potential PlayStation 4 owners and found that over half of them are planning to take Friday off to play with their new console.

Sony polled 1,278 employed customers picking up a PS4 on launch day, and found that 52% of them plan to take Friday off, following tonight's midnight launch.

“The PS4 launch is set to be the biggest in our industry’s history. This is not only because of the volume of Australians that have been clamouring to get their hands on one this side of Christmas, but now also because of the expectation of a huge number of gamers planning to stay home and play with their new PS4 on Friday. Sounds to me likes it’s almost a national play day," SCE Australia managing director Michael Ephraim said.

The PS4 carries a recommended retail price of AUD$549.95. It also arrives in the UK, Europe and selected further territories tonight, after the November 15 North American release.

The launch follows that of the Xbox One, which EB Games called the biggest in Australia's history.