China is a very lucrative market for consumer electronics and given the country’s recent relaxation of rules pertaining to gaming consoles both Microsoft and Sony confirmed the launch of their new consoles for the Chinese market. Microsoft’s new console, the Xbox One, has been trailing the PlayStation 4 as far as sales are concerned and if it was looking to make up some ground in China its hopes have been dashed for now. Microsoft has confirmed that it is delaying the Xbox One release in China.
When Microsoft initially announced that the Xbox One will be coming to China it committed to releasing the console on September 23rd. A few days before the release was due to take place Microsoft has sent out a press release in which it only provides a general release timeframe as opposed to a concrete release date.
The company says that “despite strong and steady progress we are going to need a bit more time to deliver the best experiences possible for our fans in China.” Microsoft adds that it is working with its partner BesTV to meet the launch goal it has set out, which is to get the Xbox One out in China by the end of this year.
The Xbox team is going to “celebrate its journey toward launch” on September 22nd at the Oriental Pearl Tower with partners and fans, where attendees will also be able to enjoy gameplay and celebration with Xbox China employees. The company has committed that those customers who have already placed pre-orders will be the first to receive units when they hopefully go on sale later this year.