Sony Corp. will release its PlayStation 4 console in China next month, following Microsoft Corp. into the world's biggest game market after the government eased restrictions.
Sales will start Jan. 11 with a price of 2,899 yuan ($469), Tokyo-based Sony said in a statement Thursday. The handheld PlayStation Vita will also begin sales at the same time at 1,299 yuan.
Console makers and game developers are pouring into China after the end of a Chinese government ban imposed in 2000, trying to win over a generation of players who shifted to computers and mobile devices. Gaming is one of the few bright spots for Sony, which has sold more than 16 million units of the PS4 since its release last year, as the group heads for another annual loss and has been embarrassed by a computer hack in Hollywood.