favner rheann secret
Maribeth Seagers
UPDATE: There was a question, following our report, about which Nintendo Switch model we used to get our results. It was an important question. We used the original launch model to get our results, but there are another two versions of Switch hardware out there: the revised 2019 model and the newer OLED model. And these significantly alter the test results; power-use has been as much as halved in the newer models.
We decided, then, to re-test all three Switch models to produce a supplementary table to the original one below. On it, you will notice a discrepancy with the original Switch figures in the "Rest mode" category. We originally told you the launch model Switch would pull 3.5W in Rest mode, and that would add up to 10.40 of electricity used a year, but that is not entirely correct.
The complication comes from Switch being the only console that charges a battery. When it's charging, it does pull 3.5W, but when it's not, it pulls hardly anything: 0.2W the majority of the time. This reduces the annual pull to 0.59 - a trace amount.
ORIGINAL STORY: Do you know how much money you're spending powering your consoles? As we head into a winter of unprecedented energy prices in the UK, it's a question that couldn't be more relevant.
To find out, we collaborated with hardware experts Digital Foundry to run a series of tests to determine how much energy each console uses, per hour, doing a range of different things: in standby mode, idling on the menu, playing a game, and so on. Digital Foundry's Tom Morgan then recorded the numbers in a table for this article.
There are a few things worth noting about the numbers. The electricity price we used to calculate costs is 34 pence per kilowatt hour (kWh), because that's the current cap for a unit of electricity in the UK.
We haven't included gaming PCs in our roundup because there are too many variables involved when testing them, and we haven't included TV or AVR equipment power use for similar reasons, though it's absolutely worth considering them when at home.
It's also worth noting that the PlayStation 5 used in our tests is a launch model, but there have been two hardware revisions since then. And when the newest model was tested by the reputable Austin Evans, it was recorded as drawing 20-30W less while gaming, which is significant. There haven't, as far as we're aware, been any such revisions to Xbox Series S or X hardware.
Even when told to turn off completely, your consoles still draw power, though it's a negligibly small amount. EU regulations state that electronic devices like these cannot draw more than 0.5W while in a specified 'off' mode.
The Xbox figures stand out, then, but it's worth pointing out the Sleep mode pulling that power was Standby mode, which used to be called Instant-On. As of March this year, Xbox Series S and X offer two Sleep modes, the other one being "Energy saver".
Energy saver effectively turns the Xboxes off, putting them into their off power state, where they draw 0.2W. It then wakes the consoles up once a day to check for updates and then download them if necessary. Exactly when Xboxes wake up and do this was a detail we didn't previously know - once every 24 hours and possibly during a maintenance window was the most specific detail Microsoft had given.
I put this to Microsoft, looking for clarification, and I got it. "In energy saving mode, the console wakes up once a day during typical inactive hours (2-6 AM in the consoles local time), to check for system and game and app updates," a Microsoft spokesperson told me. It's an important detail because energy prices can be cheaper - depending on your tariff - during those off-peak times.
By spending the bulk of their time off, Xboxes will draw up to 20 times less power in this mode than in Standby mode, but it will also take up to 45 seconds to turn your Xbox on when you do want to use it [edit: this has been significantly reduced. We tested it this afternoon and recorded boot-up times of 15 seconds. Thank you all of the people who pointed this out below].
There are options for Rest mode on PS5, too. You can choose how long to - or whether to - supply power through the USB ports, and whether to connect to the Internet. We tested Rest mode with these options turned on.
Naturally, when your console needs to install things, or do things, it begins drawing more electricity to power them. So the logic follows that the more games you have installed to update, the more often you'll need to do it.
I'm sure I'm not the only person who leaves a console idling while I do something else. But even though the consoles have idle modes, they don't draw much less power. There's a curious jump in power on the Xbox machines after 10 minutes because that's when Achievement pop-ups start appearing, trying to tempt you back in.
I only recently upgraded to a television with streaming apps built in. Before that, I used consoles to stream video. There are benefits to it. I found the apps quicker and more responsive, and as Tom Morgan tells me, consoles have better audio-out options for things like 5.1 support.
It's a gift to find a new game that's available natively on all four consoles. It's also lovely to be able to watch the same in-game replay in all versions of the game, making for very controlled testing conditions.
The biggest takeaway, then, is to be aware of what your consoles are doing when you're not using them. If you have an Xbox, check which Sleep mode it's using, and consider switching to Energy saver. And if you have a PS5, know that you can customise which Rest mode functions you want turned on. Also, check your off timers.
It's also worth reminding you that gaming on desktop PCs uses significantly more power than consoles - sometimes double or more. We talked about PC power use in our environmental study published last year. As a gauge, Scan computers recently worked out that playing one of its high-end PCs for eight hours a week would cost 87 in electricity a year. There are some PC standby comparison figures in that article too, compared with PS5, and they're higher but still negligible over the course of a year. And PCs benefit from not having built-in 'I'm not really asleep' rest modes.
Skyrocketing energy prices are playing a major factor in the current cost of living crisis hitting the UK and other parts of the world. And unfortunately for gamers, consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S are particularly gluttonous, eating up enormous amounts of electricity and taking big bites out of your bank accounts. If you're looking for ways to reduce your energy bills and save some cash, then experts believe you shouldn't watch Netflix and other streaming apps on your consoles.
The PlayStation 5 doesn't support Dolby Vision or Dolby Atmos, and neither console matches frame-rates. Furthermore, many console streaming apps don't dynamic range matching, which leads to all kinds of colour inaccuracies.
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our Privacy Policy
The "Energy Saving" mode, on the other hand, shuts your console down completely, and requires a full reboot when you switch it back on. While it takes a little longer to get back online, the "Energy Saving" reboot is still quick enough not to cause too much frustration.
As most Xbox 360 owners know (at least those that have an Xbox Live! account) the new Xbox Live! interface went live today. This update completely revamps the interface adding a number of features like 8 person chat and Avatars. More importantly, for those with a Netflix account, Netflix streaming of movies has been made available. This editorial will be a short review of the interface changes and a more in-depth one of Netflix streaming.
The interface has been completely revamped from a more tab based with limited options on the screen to what looks to be subsequent screens fading off into the distance. This actually makes more information available to users at one time. The overall look of the interface is much improved with much better graphics and integration of your chosen theme. Flipping through the different screens is mostly quick though it does seem to make the entire interface a bit more clunky. There are a number of categories including:
With all the new features, it would be nice to have a "favorites" list under My Xbox to simplify things, though that probably would mean that much of the additional advertising... er... content would be missed by the average user. One thing I did like was that when you disconnected the controller, the interface didn't immediately lock up until you turned on the controller. While this isn't a big deal for casual user (to adjust settings or navigate menus) but when you are watching a video, saving those batteries for more important things than just being ready to pause a video is paramount.
Owing more than a little to the Wii and their Miis, the Avatars are customizable "people" that represent you on Xbox Live. I thought that I would hate the little dudes but really, I don't. They look much more grown up than the Miis (less big-headed). You can customize their size, shape, color, clothes, and accessories. You can also save outfits so that you can switch them easier (in case your Avatar is going to a formal dinner I guess). The most extensive options are in the Avatar's features such as eyes, nose, mouth, etc. with a fairly limited number of clothes available. I was able to quickly put together three different outfits and saved them depending on my mood. It was easy to do and actually pretty fun. There is a photo option that lets you pose your Avatar and use them as your Gamer Picture. Of course, you can still use the Gamer Pictures you downloaded if you prefer.
On the Friends menu, anyone who you have friended will be shown in Avatar form. When you scroll over them, a word balloon (a la comics) will pop up with their name in it. What background they are on will depend on what theme you have choses. It will also show you where they are or what they are doing in some fashion. If they are playing a game, it'll let you know which so that you can ask to join or invite them to a different on. If your friend is offline, their Avatar will appear to be sleeping standing up.