Sony has confirmed that its PlayStation 3 gaming console has received an important quality certification in China, but it stopped short of declaring that it will officially enter the market, Reuters reports.
Though the certification does bring Sony, which recently released a slimmed-down version of the PS3, one step closer to being able to bring the device to Chinese consumers, gaming consoles in the country are still subject to a ban. News of the approval, which took place back in July, first appeared on Sina Weibo before being picked up by news outlets.
“This does not mean that we have officially decided to enter Chinese market,” Sony spokeswoman Mai Hora told Reuters. “We recognize that China is a promising market so we will continuously study the possibility.”
Enforcement of China’s rule against dedicated gaming devices has become more complicated in recent years as lines have been blurred. Both Sony and Microsoft have built their consoles into broader media machines that also handle video and social networking.
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Meanwhile, iOS and Android phones and tablets are being increasingly used for gaming purposes. Microsoft is also reportedly interested in building a gaming tablet that would combine its Xbox and Surface brands.
Gaming industry players are likely eager to break into the multi-billion dollar market in China. When they do, however, they’ll go up against well-entrenched domestic players like Tencent and CMGE.
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