ZTE9 Ltd, a joint venture of Shenzhen-based ZTE Corp and Shanghai-based game firm The9 Ltd, aims to sell 3 million home entertainment set-top boxes that support high-definition games and videos this year.

The Funbox, which claims to have the highest Internet access speed and most powerful graphic chip in a set-top box, offers a huge potential amid rising demand for top-of-the-range game and TV entertainment systems in China.

“It’s a cross-industry product to feature the latest technologies in both hardware and software as well as service,” Zhu Jun, The9’s founder and chairman, said yesterday.

The set-top box connects the Internet, TV and home entertainment.

The Funbox runs on an Nvidia Tegra 4 graphic chip and sells for 698 yuan (US$113), which includes a box and a game handle.

JD.com, one of the country’s top e-commerce websites, plans to sell 1 million Funbox set-top boxes this year.

ZTE9 joins a crowded market because Shenzhen-listed Wasu and Hangzhou-based Bianfeng launched Bianfeng box on Tuesday with popular web game Sanguosha.

In January, Huawei Technologies unveiled plans to launch Tron game boxes with games developed by Nasdaq-listed Perfect World.