After close to 14 years, China finally lifted its onerous ban on foreign console sales that prevented Chinese gamers from getting their hands on PlayStations, Xboxes and Wiis.

The ban was lifted Jan. 29 but only announced over the weekend. The production and sale of gaming consoles has been fully lifted across China, said the State Council, China's Cabinet.

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The council also gave foreign firms in the Shanghai free trade zone permission to make and ell consoles and games in the mainland. The policy will be valid for domestic and foreign companies involved in the gaming market.

China implemented a strict ban on the sale of gaming consoles and games in 2000.

The ban was removed following a successful trial run at the Shanghai FTZ that started in 2013. Microsoft and Sony subsequently unveiled a new series of game services for China.

China's game console market is estimated at US$8 billion. The removal of the ban will ignite fierce competition between local and foreign developers for control of the world's largest gaming market. Going up against each other are Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, Alibaba, Tencent and Huawei.

Microsoft has partnered with China-based BesTV since late September 2014 to launch an Xbox specifically designed for China in the Shanghai FTZ. The partners will work together to develop the next generation home gaming technology, including content.

Sony signed an agreement with Oriental Pearl, a subsidiary of Shanghai Media & Entertainment Group, to establish a joint venture that will develop software and another for hardware development.

Market analysts have reservations about the cooperation of Microsoft and Sony with their Chinese partners as it remains to be seen whether there will be an enough content to support the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 in the local market, The Time Weekly said.

Alibaba has invested in US-based game software and game console firm OUYA that issued its first Android-based console in 2013. Huawei released a home game console called TRON in 2014, but hasn't announced anything new since then.