Sony is closing in on a PlayStation 4 launch in China

Recently China relaxed its decade old ban on gaming consoles and both Microsoft and Sony were quick to confirm that their new consoles will indeed be released in the People’s Republic. While Sony’s plans are still not known Microsoft went ahead last month and released Xbox One in China. Sony has set the wheels in motion but has still not provided any concrete details about when its new console will be released in China.

Following Sony’s initial announcement back in May that it planned to launch PlayStation systems in China, the electronics giant is now one step closer to making that a reality. According to a government filing this week (via The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg), a Sony-affiliated factory in Shanghai’s new free-trade zone plans to start packaging PlayStation consoles starting in December. The facility is reportedly capable of handling 200,000 units per year. A spokesperson for Sony confirmed that the 200,000 figure “doesn’t represent an actual business plan.” The representative added that this figure could sway in response to other factors such as the number of games Sony can sell in China.