Sony Interactive Entertainment Shanghai has confirmed it will be launching the PlayStation 5 console in China on May 15. According to Niko Partners, pre-orders for a total of 50,000 consoles began today and sold out within 20 minutes.
Both versions of the PS5 console received their 3C Certification in December 2020, meaning they were approved for release in the country. Sony will launch the digital version of the console for RMB 3,099 and the disc version for RMB 3,899. Retailers opened their pre-orders at 12PM for deposits that cost between RMB 100-500. All 50,000 consoles were sold within a record period of time, selling out in 20 minutes. Other accessories that will be available in the country include the DualSense wireless controller, PULSE 3D wireless headset, HD Camera, and DualSense Charging Station.
The consoles sold out despite a relatively small launch lineup. Sony intends to have three titles ready during the launch period: Sackboy: A Big Adventure, Genshin Impact, and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart. As the last of those titles won’t launch until June, this means there’ll just be two PS5 games available on May 15 (even the PS4 launched with six titles). Sony hopes to increase the choice of games at launch by releasing a PlayStation Plus collection similar to that offered to PS5 players in other countries, although this selection will only include 12 titles according to Gematsu:
- Final Fantasy XV
- Gravity Rush 2
- Hardcore Mecha
- Helldivers: Dive Harder Edition
-
Horizon Zero Dawn Complete Edition
- Journey
- The Last Guardian
- LittleBigPlanet 3
- Loco Roco Remastered
- Ratchet & Clank
- Tearaway
- WipEout Omega Collection
At the moment, Chinese players have had to import consoles from other markets, like Japan and the US. This can cost as much as RMB 5,000, and with overall supply constrained, even this isn’t a guarantee. While the native Chinese release is significantly cheaper, it is expected to come with different features, such as an online service that will likely be locked to that region.
[Source: Niko Partners, Gematsu]