PS4 to launch in China by December and sell 200k units on a yearly basis

For the last 14 years gaming consoles have been banned in China which means that gamers in the country had to contend with only playing on the PC. This changed last month however as Microsoft launched the Xbox One in China, thus being the first company to launch a console there in over a decade. Sony also wants to see its console launched in China, although a release date has still not be scheduled yet. However, thanks to some recently uncovered evidence we now know that the PS4 will arrive in the country by December of this year. Bloomberg reports that Sony wants to sell 200,000 PS4 consoles in the country on a yearly basis according to a filling on the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone website.

The document’s authenticity was reportedly confirmed by Sony Computer Entertainment spokesperson Masaki Tsukakoshi who also noted that actual PS4 production amounts may vary. Presumably Sony wants to sell at least 200,000 units a year, but the company will likely attempt to sell much more than that. It’s unclear if Sony plans on selling that many units starting this year but it wouldn’t be all that surprising. By comparison, Microsoft managed to sell around 100,000 Xbox One consoles just in the first week and will undoubtedly reach 200,000 by the end of the year. However, Sony doesn’t have a lot of time left as it’s already October and the PS4 release date for China hasn’t even been announced yet.

In any case, it looks like the a new chapter in Xbox One vs PS4 console wars is closing in fast. This time around, the fight is going to be a little different as the Chinese government must approve the games before they can be launched on the market and there are many restrictions in place. This means thay both consoles might end up fighting without their signature titles.