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| Sony launches the PS5 platform in China ahead of Xbox |
Sony officially launched the PS5 platform in China on Thursday: the CD version costs 3,899 yuan ($ 602) and the digital version costs 3,099 yuan.
The Sony platform will go on sale in China on May 15th. The first applications will begin on April 29.
After the 14-year ban on these products has been lifted, the official version of the gaming platform can only be used in China since 2014.
The ban makes personal computers (now cell phones) the dominant form of gambling among Chinese consumers.
Strict control laws and a long approval process also mean that the platform manufacturers are taking on a tougher task of officially launching their products in China.
The PS5 was launched worldwide in November 2020, but it did not enter the Chinese market until a few months later.
This has resulted in what is known as the gray market, where sellers often import platforms from Hong Kong and Japan and sell them at high prices via Chinese e-commerce sites.
Since the PS5 was launched overseas in November 2020, the demand for the PS5 in the Chinese market has been high. Chinese gaming console players who are eager to import platforms from abroad pay nearly double the retail price. Lack of products and high demand drove up prices.
These games are also censored in China, which means that some games that go against Beijing's sensitivity may not be released in China.
Sony announced that PS5 will soon release three games - Sackboy, Ratchet, Clank and Genshin Impact - the latter being a very popular game from a Chinese developer.
Another Chinese game maker called Ultizero Games introduces the PS5 in "Lost Soul Aside".
In addition to the original games from Sony, other games from Chinese developers are also expected to be launched on the platform.
As part of the subscription, Chinese PlayStation Plus subscribers can also play 12 PS4 games.
Nintendo launched the Nintendo Switch in 2019 and has partnered with Chinese tech giant Tencent to bring the device to the market.
Tencent said in January: Nintendo shipped 1 million Nintendo Switch devices to China.
The PS5 faces competition from the Chinese Nintendo Switch. The Nintendo Switch's hybrid nature, social gaming features, and high-quality software contributed to its success in China.
Microsoft's Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S devices have yet to be launched in China, and Microsoft received a security clearance to launch its devices in China late last year. However, the company has not announced when the devices will be launched in China.