The Xbox One is coming to China! In September to be exact. The biggest question now is how much the Xbox One will cost once it launches in the Middle Kingdom, and Chinese media is suggesting that the price will be… EXTREME!
Chinese online electronics site Zol.com posted a photo detailing the price of the Xbox One in China. Zol.com, citing Microsoft’s Xbox China homepage, Zol is claiming the Xbox will cost 4999 RMB when it launches in September. 4999 RMB is about $US800!
When the Xbox launched in the States last November, the total package cost about $US490 when it releases in Japan later this year. If Zol’s to be believed, that would mean that China’s version of the Xbox will cost $US300 more than everywhere else!
Zol and the rest of Chinese media are citing one webpage, a webpage that Kotaku’s been unable to access, as the source of the 4999 RMB price point. Looking at the screen capture, the 4999 RMB price tag might just be the “expected value” of the system and not the price. Think about the price situation of the Moto 360.
Now, China and Chinese consumers aren’t new to getting shafted with higher costs for products. In China, Apple’s 64GB iPhone 5S costs $US1109, compared to $US829 in the States.
It’s funny to think about it, but most electronics are made in China, yet the cost is almost 27% higher than elsewhere. The reason for the higher prices is because China has something called a value-added tax, commonly known as a VAT tax. The VAT is a form of sales tax, but it’s not. The cost of the VAT is added directly to the cost of the product, think sales tax included but much more. The Chinese government has set the VAT for goods in China at 17%.
Kotaku has reached out to Microsoft for comment on the pricing.
真的4999？Xbox One国行价格疑似曝光 [ZOL via People’s Daily]
Eric is a Beijing based writer and all around FAT man. You can contact him @FatAsianTechie@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @FatAsianTechie
Comments
6 responses to “Chinese Press Claim Xbox One Will Cost $US800 In China”
Surely it can’t be right, arnt they made in China?
Considering the grey market is China has these consoles around 4000rmb, imported (smuggled) from Hong Kong.. or you could just go across the border to HK and pick it up dirt cheap there (even cheaper than the US)
I’m assuming the Kinnect will still be mandatory and used for spying for one or both governments.
haha jesus christ. people actually believe this shit?
You do realize that Windows in China does monitor citizens for the Chinese government right? That was one of the stipulations Microsoft had to agree to in order to sell their product in China. The government monitoring citizens over the internet is status quo in China. Kinect probably won’t be used for that, though the US government actively monitors US citizens through Skype. Unless you disbelieve everything Snowden said, you can’t honestly believe that Skype can’t be monitored on the Xbox One. Of course it can. It probably is monitored. I’m sure they used the same servers. They obviously don’t monitor Kinect directly, but the likelihood that the government monitors you through Kinect when using Skype is quite high. PRISM happened. Sorry.
If you have nothing to hide who cares.