Citizens of China will be able to leap into the console revolution they had been missing, with the China State Council lifting a ban on video game units.

Reports over the weekend say that the ban imposed in 2000 is set to be undone. The Chinese government had deemed game devices responsible for causing irreparable harm to children and adolescents, laying down the ban and pushing gamers onto black-market devices and PC gaming.

It seems the threat to the nation’s youth may have passed, with the announcement from China's State Council - the country's top decision maker - that companies can start selling game consoles across China. It will be a slow release though, with reports saying the companies would need to have their devices approved by the Ministry of Culture. Some speculate that each game will have to pass rigorous censorship and checks for unsavoury content.

The allowance of game console sales is part of a broader set of rules related to the new free-trade zone in Shanghai. The rules will be enacted over the next three years, meaning it could be some time before consoles are actually on shelves.

It will certainly be a boost to the bottom line of video-game companies when they manage to get their work onto the market, with millions of Chinese gamers itching to catch up on 13 years worth of missed releases.