Playstation 4 release date rumors are flaring after it was revealed that Sony might be looking to include a television service on its PS4 to compete with the Microsoft and Nintendo.

Just weeks after the 2013 Electronic Entertainment Expo came to a close with little mention of non-gaming functionality in the next iteration of the Playstation Network, Sony secretly filed a new patent application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office which seems to confirm a Playstation TV service, the International Digital Times reports.

Sony's move to include a television service on the Playstation 4 before its release date could also undermine Xbox One's attempts to draw in gamers with its own service.

And with a release date that is rumored to be earlier than that of the Xbox One, adding a television service to the Playstation 4 could continue to shift the balance of power in the next-generation console war.

Media Markt and Bol.com, two retailers based in Europe, are claiming the Playstation 4 will be launched on November 13, two weeks before Microsoft is expected to release its Xbox One console, the States Chronicles reports.

Media Market, one of the retailers, hyped the PS4 release date rumors after posting a flyer in its store with November 13 as the official date of sale.

While media reported that November 26 and November 21 were likely dates for the Playstation 4 to be released, rimming around the Black Friday sales bonanzas, Media Markt's poster has shifted release date rumors - Sony's PS4 will be in the hands of gamers two weeks before its biggest competitor.