Microsoft has set a new launch date for the Xbox One in China, after the release of the console was delayed for an unspecified reason.
The console will now be launched on Sept. 29 in China, less than a week after today's launch of the console in India.
"We take great care to ensure that we meet or exceed regulatory standards," said Microsoft, hinting the console release may have been due to regulatory hurdles in China.
A number of games have been approved by the country's local culture department, which regulates the games to ensure they do no harm to China's reputation or promote actions like racism, obscenity, gambling, violence or drugs.
"After receiving government approval for the first wave of games, we've decided to launch with digital copies of the first 10 games now and will continue our work to bring more blockbuster games and a broad offering of entertainment and app experiences to the platform in the months to come," said Enwei Xie, general manager for Xbox China.
The Xbox One being released in China is even more significant because of the recent lift of a ban on foreign gaming consoles in the country. While the console will be launched with only 10 government-approved titles, more are expected to be added as time goes on.
Microsoft and the Chinese government have had a rocky history, especially in the past few months. The Chinese government is currently investigating the tech company for antitrust issues.
China is currently the world's biggest gaming market, and has grown by over a third since 2012, representing $14 billion last year. Both Sony and Microsoft will be looking to capitalize on this.
U.K. gamers also have some Xbox One-related news to get excited about. The Microsoft Store and Amazon are both offering the console without the Kinect for £329.99, which is around $540. The Amazon deal offers a white version of the console with a download version of Sunset Overdrive.
Sept. 23 also marks the release of the console in India, costing Rs 45990 ($755) for the version with the Kinect, or Rs 39,990 ($655) for the version without the Kinect. The console in India is clearly relatively expensive and it will be interesting to see how it does in terms of sales.
Sony will also be bringing the PlayStation 4 to China, having set up a joint venture with Shanghai Oriental Pearl Group in May.
