Microsoft has announced that the Xbox One will go on sale in China on September 23rd for the price of ¥3,699 RMB or roughly $600 USD; The console will be sold with the help of BesTV.
According to Microsoft, the Xbox One will be the first gaming and entertainment console approved for sale in China which the company will hope to use to gain first-movers advantage. We will be curious to see how the Chinese market reacts to the console, if it will be with open arms or if the console will get the cold shoulder because of its price.
The entire process to bring the Xbox One to China has taken over a year, according to Zhang Dazhong, senior vice president of Shanghai Media Group. For those who are not aware, for foreign companies to enter China, they typically have to form a joint-venture to be able to sell goods in this country. Seeing that it took over a year to get approval to sell the console, it underlines the fact that entering the Chinese market still has considerable hurdles for foreign organizations.
But Microsoft was able to get it done and is now able to sell its console in one of the largest economies on the planet. Even so, China is typically known for its cheap goods and many of the country's citizens get by on low wages with little disposable income. At nearly $600, the console may not see massive success as the device is marketed as a premium entertainment device.
Source: Microsoft
