Originally slated to launch in China on September 23, Microsoft Corp. pushed the launch date of its Xbox One out to “by the end of this year”. Asked why the console was delayed, Microsoft said, to give the console “a bit more time to deliver the best experiences possible for our fans”.

On Tuesday Microsoft announced that the Xbox One will now launch in China on September 29. This will be the first launch since China lifted a 14-year ban on the sale of foreign game consoles earlier this year for countries operating within a new free-trade zone in Shanghai. Microsoft invested in a joint venture within the zone with a Chinese partner, BesTV New Media, to develop videogames.

“After receiving government approval for the first wave of games, we will launch with the first 10 games now and continue our work to bring more blockbuster games and a broad offering of entertainment and app experiences to the platform in the weeks and months to come,” said Enwei Xie, general manager of Xbox China, in a statement.

Games initially approved for sale by regulators include “Forza Motorsport 5,” “Zoo Tycoon,” a Chinese title called “Naughty Kitties.”

It remains to be seen how well the Xbox One console will do in China, where the unrestricted ‘gray’ electronics market has long provided game consoles and pirated games despite the ban. Traditionally gamers in China have preferred playing on personal computers, but just as the rest of the world, they have recently started making a shift to mobile gaming on smartphones.

At a cost of 4,299 yuan ($700), about 40 percent more than it costs in the U.S., for the Xbox One with the Kinect motion detecting system, pricing may also prove to be an obstacle for sales.

Image by Sam Churchill