With the Xbox One dropping in China in September and the PlayStation 4 dropping some time later, Chinese news portal NetEase took the chance to survey netizens on their preferences. Turns out, Chinese users are more interested in the PS4.
Hidden at the bottom of an article about the first major public showing of the PlayStation 4 in China, NetEase put out a survey asking Chinese netizens which gaming system they preferred. The survey gave Chinese netizens the choice of selecting which system they would buy, the PS4, Xbox One, PS Vita/Vita TV, all systems, none, or purchasing consoles off the nation's gray market.
Of the 6488 people surveyed so far, a whopping 57.3 percent voted that they would purchase a PS4. About 19 percent chose to continue buying consoles on the gray market, and only about 10 percent said they were willing to invest in an Xbox One.
The other results were as following: 6 percent chose the Vita/Vita TV and another 6 percent said they'd purchase every system.
If this survey is to be taken at face value, it means that Chinese gamers are thoroughly more interested in the PlayStation than the Xbox and, in a way, that makes sense. China's had more of a history with the PlayStation brand over the Xbox brand, especially since Sony actually sold PlayStation 2 consoles in China in the past. PlayStation Portables were very popular before the dawn of the smartphone despite never being officially released in the country. The Xbox and the Xbox 360 never saw official release in China either.
Both consoles are allowed in China through joint ventures their respective companies have set up in the Shanghai Free Trade Zone earlier this year. Sony's joint venture is with the Shanghai Oriental Pearl Group whereas Microsoft's is with BesTV. The Shanghai Media Group conglomerate is the parent company of both BesTV and Shanghai Oriental Pearl Group.
Regardless of which console turns out to be the better seller, the winner in the end is China and gamers.
索尼最新游戏机国内首秀 PS4和PSV或同时引进？[NetEase]
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Eric is a Beijing based writer and all around FAT man. You can contact him @FatAsianTechie@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @FatAsianTechie.