Sony has submitted an application to the Chinese government stating that the company plans to launch the Chinese official version of PS4 at the end of 2014 with expected annual shipments of 200,000 units.

However, the detailed launch time, place, or shipment mode was not disclosed.

Microsoft has already launched Xbox One in China. As its major competitor in the gaming console sector, Sony does not want to fall behind and the company plans to tap the Chinese market with its latest PS4 in December 2014.

An official representative from Sony also confirmed the news. The representative revealed that the company plans to ship 200,000 PS4 consoles annually, but the detailed business plan may still change.

If Sony enters the Chinese market smoothly, it would become the second foreign gaming console company in China following Microsoft. In 2000, China's seven government departments jointly issued a regulation to ban all production and sales of electronic gaming devices and parts targeting the Chinese market.

China's population of 1.25 billion people is a big potential gaming market for Microsoft and Sony. As Japanese gaming manufacturers are moving from consoles to mobile devices, the two companies are eagerly seeking new users.