Sony will release PS5 in China during the second quarter of 2021

Multiple restrictions possible

Sony China has confirmed that it will release its next-gen gaming platform, PlayStation 5, in Mainland China during the second quarter of 2021. The news was broken by analyst Daniel Ahmad following a New Year’s greetings video by SIE Shanghai President Tatsuo Eguchi and Vice Chairman Soeda Takahito.

While Sony’s powerful new console hit global markets back in November 2020, China is yet to see its release. Although the sale sought and received approval back in December, in the interim a lucrative import market was established, with private sellers distributing consoles within the territory at hugely inflated prices. Microsoft’s own next-gen hardware, Xbox Series X/S is also currently unavailable in China, though it has undergone a similar approval process.

While a release window is happy news indeed for Chinese PlayStation fans, there remains to be seen if any further restrictions will be applied to the console, its services, and its software within China. Ahmad predicts that the Chinese version of the PS5 will very likely be region-locked. Every game will seek approval from China’s advisory board before it can be made available for sale. While this is obviously the case for game certification in most countries, China is famous for its particularly strict control of mass-market media.

Sony China has confirmed that it plans to officially launch the PlayStation 5 in Mainland China during Q2 2021.

Tatsuo Eguchi, the president of SIE Shanghai and Soeda Takehito, the vice chairman, confirmed the new today in a special Chinese New Year greetings video. pic.twitter.com/nhFzbZQTGx

— Daniel Ahmad (@ZhugeEX) February 8, 2021