Nintendo Co Ltd said on Wednesday it will launch its Switch gaming console in mainland China on Dec. 10 priced 2,099 yuan ($298) with local partner Tencent Holdings Ltd.

Pre-orders for the console began at noon (0400 GMT) in China on Wednesday, opening a major front in Nintendo’s drive to expand the reach of the portable Switch device.

The launch includes popular game New Super Mario Bros U Deluxe and a one-year warranty. The pricing is in line with countries such as Japan and the United States.

Nintendo plans to release hit titles Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and Super Mario Odyssey in China in the next few weeks. The launch of its handheld-only Switch Lite device, which went on sale worldwide in September, is also being prepared for the country.

Partnering with Tencent will offer Nintendo promote its own popular in-house games along with game titles developed by local independent developers that are already familiar to Chinese players.

Nintendo's Pokemon series has been popular around the world and China, being available in the forms of animation, film and toys.

Despite regulatory opposition, China has become the world’s largest mobile market, driving profit at its biggest gaming firm Tencent.

Sony’s PlayStation 4 console has failed to achieve widespread acceptance since its 2015 China launch.