Sony PS4 gets headstart over Microsoft Xbox One in Asia

TOKYO--Sony has announced that the PlayStation 4 (PS4) console will start shipping in December 2013 for Asia. While this is limited to just five countries for now -- Hong Kong, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan -- it is significant as it's two months before the launch in Japan, the company's home country. The new game console has previously been announced for rollout in North America and Europe, as well as Australia and New Zealand, in November this year.

In contrast, the Microsoft Xbox One has so far been given a firm release date of November 22 only in 13 countries, none of which are in Asia. The company has instead indicated a late 2014 launch of its new console in Asia. This gives the PS4 almost an entire year's headstart in this region. Of course, there's nothing stopping consumers here from buying import sets from the US, but it'll be far more troublesome since games will have to be purchased overseas as well.

During his keynote, Sony Computer Entertainment Japan Asia (SCEJA) deputy president Hiroyuki Oda was clear about the company's focus on the region. Aside from the 2013 launch of the console, he also showed off a slew of titles that will be available in the Chinese and Korean languages at launch. This is important for Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Though many consumers do play English versions of games in these countries, the addition of dialog and/or subtitles in local languages will greatly increase their appeal.

One example of a highly anticipated title is Watch Dogs, an action game set in the US, in which the protagonist, a vigilante, hacks into the city's network to achieve his goals. Watch Dogs will launch in English, but shortly after that, a Korean/Chinese version will be available to cater to this region.

When asked if he thinks customers in this region will take well to the necessity of subscribing to the PS Plus service for online play, Oda said Sony "decided to offer online multiplayer as part of the charged PS Plus service in order to deliver a more stable and smoother online feature." He added that this will give a "breakthrough gaming experience", which is why the users will be able to accept it as a paid service, even though it's a change from the free online multiplayer service available on the PS3. The following are the fees for one year subscription of PS Plus in the various countries:

Hong Kong -- 268 HKD

Indonesia -- 350,000 rupiah

Korea -- 41,800 won

Malaysia -- 129 ringgit

Singapore -- S$43.90

Taiwan -- 1,088 Taiwan dollars

Thailand -- 1,130 baht

Online TV streaming services can be accessed through a PlayStation console in many countries including the US, Japan and the UK. But this feature has not really made its way to Asia. When asked about video-streaming services through the PS4 for this region, Oda did not have much to add, saying the company will "consider every possibility to have non-game features in Asia."

For those living here in Asia and haven't decided between the PS4 and Xbox One, how has this latest development affected your decision? Let us know in the comments below.