Xbox One Now Available for Preorder in China

Microsoft's Xbox One will be the first games console released in mainland China since 2000.

Gamers in China can now preorder the Xbox One exclusively through the website JD.com, according to a report from Reuters. On July 31, Xbox fans at Shanghai's ChinaJoy Expo will also be able to preorder the system at the JD.com exhibition booth.

China Telecom Corporation--the country's third largest telecommunications company--has an exclusive contract to sell the console to its 30 million broadband subscribers.

When contacted for comment, a Microsoft spokesperson didn't offer any new details, but said the company would be sharing more about its plans to launch Xbox One in China "soon."

Microsoft's system will be the first gaming console released in mainland China since the government banned console sales in 2000, due to concerns that video games could negatively impact mental health. The ban was lifted last September.

Upon lifting the 14-year ban, the Chinese government published a list of censorship rules for console games. For example, any games that "threaten China's national unity, sovereignty or territorial integrity" would be banned.

The Xbox One launches in China this September. Microsoft and China Telecom didn't include the price or exact release date of the Xbox One in China. However, the Xbox One goes on sale September 4 in Japan. In May, Sony announced plans to bring the PlayStation 4 to China, but no dates have been confirmed yet.