OC&C: expert comment on Sony's PS4 launch in China

Sony will launch its flagship video game console PlayStation 4 and handheld gaming device PlayStation Vita in the Chinese mainland market on Friday.  The electronics giants’ original plans for launch in January were postponed at short notice as it looked to follow Microsoft, and its Xbox One console, into China's potentially lucrative gaming market.

He believes that despite Microsoft getting a head start with the Xbox One and the strategic move to reduce the price of its console, the prospects for Sony and the PS4 are good.  “Despite the PS4 not being officially available in China, underground sales have been strong as hardcore fans have purchased the console and games through other channels such as Taobao,” he said.

According to Mr Chuang, Sony still faces several important challenges as it looks to enter the Chinese market, including providing games with localised content and the meeting censorship rules.  He said, “Just having the console is only the first step, access to high-quality games remains the biggest driver for console sales.  For the average gamer, access to major titles with Chinese subtitles or dubbed in Mandarin will be vital.  Crucially, Sony have already committed to offering Chinese versions of some of their high profile games, as well as titles from domestic developers.”

“It will be telling whether Sony has learned lessons from the experiences of Microsoft with the Xbox One when only a limited number of games were available for gamers to purchase at launch,” he added.