Sony announced Thursday that it will make its PlayStation 4 console available to gamers in China starting January 11, 2015.
The decision was announced at a press conference in Shanghai, and the launch will follow several months after gaming competitor Microsoft released its Xbox One console in the country, according to Gamasutra.
A Sony representative said the company gained approval from the Chinese government to sell certain games. Hiroyuki Oda, chief of SCE Japan Asia, said Sony and the government are working together to "provide a broad range of content for our users in China."
China had banned console gaming for almost 15 years, but the country lifted the ban earlier this year, requiring foreign companies looking to deliver consoles in China to form a joint venture with a company based in the region, CNET reported. Microsoft was the first to do so, partnering with Shanghai Media Group subsidiary BesTV to distribute the console and launching the Xbox One in China in September.
Sony chose to partner with Shanghai Oriental Pearl Culture Development to form two joint ventures: Sony Computer Entertainment, which will take care of hardware distribution, and Oriental Pearl Culture Development, which will take care of software licensing. The tech giant has signed 70 third-party software developers, 26 of which are based in China, and plans on creating its own games.
China has established that it won't allow the sale of games that it deems violent or unsuitable, CNET reported. Sony managed to sell 13.5 million units outside of China between the PS4's release last year and the end of the third quarter.
Chinese gamers will be able to get the PS4 for 2,899 yuan (about $468) and the PlayStation Vita for 1,299 yuan (about $210).
