The Great Click Forward: PC Gaming in China Just Got a Whole Lot Better, and Cheaper

PC gamers rejoice! As of Wednesday, Steam – arguably the world’s largest PC gaming platform – has made the Renminbi the official payment currency for people living in China. This is clearly a watershed moment for China’s gaming industry; potentially on par with the eradication of the game console ban earlier this year.
 

Additionally, and importantly, there's also the prospect of saving tons of money! A brief comparison between the China and US Steam stores shows a marked discrepancy in prices. For example, the pre-purchase price for Bethesda Studio’s Fallout 4 is a mere RMB 199 in the China store, whereas the exact same game sells for USD 59.99 (the equivalent of RMB 380) in the US store. The price margin is even greater for other gaming titles, such as Grand Theft Auto V (RMB 189 and USD 59.99, respectively) and Football Manager 2016 (RMB 133 and USD 49.99, respectively).

One can only speculate that this price difference is Valve Corporation’s attempt at a more market-orientated pricing strategy in China. Nevertheless, it can only give further credence to the notion that the Renminbi is becoming a more globally accepted currency.

Images: gamesradar.com, store.steampowered.com