The biggest question after reports that China Telecom, the country’s third-largest telecommunications company will exclusively sell Microsoft’s Xbox One system in China from September, is how much the gaming console offered to China’s Telecom 30 million broadband customers will actually cost once it launches.
Over the weekend, the pricing of Xbox One in China was leaked via a promotional image by Chinese Microsoft-centric news site WPDang, who reported that the Xbox One “limited edition” will cost 3499 RMB, or just over $560 for the Kinect-enabled bundle, and 2899 RMB, or $468 for the Kinect-free motion sensor.
Last month, Chinese online electronics site Zool.com said that the all-in-one games and entertainment system will sport a whopping $800, or 4,999 RMB, price tag. It should be mentioned that every price tag in China is the after-tax price.
Microsoft (MSFT) and its Chinese partner BesTV are expected to demonstrate Xbox One in Shanghai’s ChinaJoy expo at the end of this month. The two companies have formed a joint venture to manufacture the consoles in Shanghai’s Free Trade Zone.
China is potentially a massive market for the Xbox One with an estimated half a billion people playing games. According to Microsoft that is “roughly more than a third of the country’s population and more than the entire population of North America.”
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