Following the console gaining certification to be sold in the country last December, thePlayStation 5will officially be making its way to China in Q2 of this year. The console originally launched in November, however, China wasn’t included in that initial lineup, withSonyhaving to spend longer acquiring the right to ship its latest piece of hardware in the censorship-heavy country.
The announcement was shared via aChinese New Yearcelebration video courtesy of Sony, with SIE Shangahi President Tatsuo Eguchi and Vice Chairman Soeda Takehito breaking the news. Although the video is in Chinese, the contents were covered by industry analyst Daniel Ahmad, who shared various details about the console’s newest launch.
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While the release of Sony’s newest hardware is a cause for excitement for Chinese users, the console will most likely still have to comply with the strict censorship laws the country has enforced on gaming over the years. Namely, while the console has been approved, each individual piece of software available for the system will still need to pass a rigid certification process. It will likely mean that the library of games released on thePlayStation 5in China will be vastly smaller than other countries in the world. As Ahmad predicts, the console might also have to contend with an “online services region lock” as well.
The PlayStation 5’s Chinese launch could well be joined by another familiar face in the months following its release, withthe Xbox Series X also obtaining the right to launch in Chinaback in November. Microsoft managed to obtain a 3C Certification to release two consoles (presumably the Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S), however, the company seemed to be holding off so it could license some additional games to publish alongside the console later this year.
As for the PlayStation 5’s success outside of China, the system has had a strong launch so far, quickly hitting rampant stock shortages due to the number of sales. Currently, Sony seems focused on increasing production and getting the console out to its large player base, many of which have become frustrated with the lack of units currently available for purchase.
The drive to make more PlayStation 5’s will definitely be a crucial goal for the year, with the company slated to drop some significant games, includingHorizon: Forbidden West, Ratchet and Clank,andGod of War: Ragnarok.Hopefully, more players will have the console and be able to enjoy its lineup of AAA exclusives by the time the year’s out.
