Xbox One set for UK launch celebration in Leicester Square tonight

Leicester Square is set to be inundated with gamers tonight as Microsoft prepares for the UK launch of its new Xbox One console.

The technology giants are promising "surprise performances and celebrity appearances" to coincide with the console going on sale at midnight.

In one of a series of teasers and photos posted on Microsoft's Facebook page, organisers wrote: "To celebrate our UK launch, Xbox One will take over Leicester Square in London on Thursday night by putting on a spectacular event featuring a host of surprise performances and celebrity appearances.

"We’d love you to come along, bring your friends and be part of the launch fun – because it’s free!"

The show will run from 7-9pm, leaving excited fans facing a three hour wait before they can get their hands on one of the prized consoles.

High street shops are preparing for a deluge of fans at midnight, with Game pledging to open 300 UK branches overnight especially for the occasion.

The Xbox One - Microsoft's first new console since 2005's 360 model - will compete with Sony in the run-up to a potentially hugely lucrative Christmas period.

Sony is releasing the Playstation 4 in the UK on November 29. The console has already enjoyed massive sales since it was launched in the US on November 15, chalking up more than one million sales on its first day alone.

The Xbox One will be significantly more expensive than the Playstation 4, with prices starting at £429 - compared with £349 for Sony's model.