Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba rumored to be working on its own game console for China

Rumors say that Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba is designing a high-end game console to compete with Microsoft’s Xbox One and Sony’s PlayStation 4 in China, according to market researcher Niko Partners, which follows the Chinese game market closely.

Alibaba declined comment. Lisa Cosmas Hanson, the managing director at Niko Partners, said in an email that she heard from a credible source that Alibaba may release the machine early next year. But she has not been able to independently confirm the rumor. A spokesperson for Alibaba said it does not comment on market rumors or speculation. If true, the move could shake up the video game business in China, where consoles were banned for 15 years by the government.