Nintendo Switch is coming to China thanks to a tie-up with Tencent

Gamers are excited by the arrival of Switch with New Super Mario Bros. U but they’re disappointed that Tencent is the distributor

Reading Time:3 minutes

Nintendo Switch is coming to China thanks to a tie-up with Tencent

Published: 9:35pm, 18 Apr 2019Updated: 9:02am, 20 Sep 2019

This article originally appeared on ABACUS

The Nintendo Switch is finally coming to China. But far from being happy, some gamers are actually disappointed… because it’s being distributed by Tencent.

Time and time again, Nintendo said China was too tough to enter. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, a new government document popped up showing that Tencent will be distributing the Nintendo Switch, bundled with New Super Mario Bros. U, in China.

The Wall Street Journal also said that the Japanese gaming company has submitted a request to the Chinese government for approval to sell the Nintendo Switch in China, with a Nintendo spokesman confirming a collaboration with Tencent.

Why does Nintendo need Tencent? Turns out, console gaming is a tricky business in China, as the country only recently legalized sales. Before that, China banned console gaming for 15 years.

Why the impact of China’s 15-year console ban still lingers today

Of course, it’s China: Consoles were always readily available as gray imports. But those are subject to retailer mark-ups and aren’t localized into Chinese. So it’s safe to say that gamers have been waiting a long time for Nintendo to officially arrive back in China, especially with a console as hot as the Switch.