At a time of political turmoil, rising energy costs and serious concerns about potentially irreversible changes in the global climate, it seems logical that most gamers would want to reduce their energy consumption as much as possible. While there are certainly many activities that harm the planet far more than a session of Elden Ring or Fortnite, it’s easy to forget that owning a console or PC still comes at a cost to the environment and, inevitably, the gamer’s wallet.
Much of this expense comes from simply playing games or using consoles for the many functions these hyper-engineered, versatile machines can now perform, but some of the power consumption now comes in more insidious, hidden forms. The concept of “Phantom Energy” refers to devices that use power unnecessarily, such as when placed in rest or standby mode, and while these can be useful for those who want to quickly power up their consoles with the tap of a button, the disadvantages far outweigh the advantages.
Rest modes are undeniably useful, and when used properly, they are a much better alternative than having a console and its attached accessories at full power. For example, the PlayStation 4’s rest mode is ideal for letting the console run updates or download games and software without having to be fully operational. As a means of performing useful background or passive actions without being completely “on”, rest and standby modes can be useful and somewhat eco-friendly.
However, these modes come with a price, albeit potentially small ones. For example, the PS5 consumes quite a bit of power when performing activities such as downloading games or charging through the USB ports. According to Sony’s own research, the PS5 consumes 0.36 Watts of energy per hour in passive standby, and a maximum of 3.2 Watts when downloading and charging via USB. A PS4 can consume about 4.1 watts per hour when charging through the USB ports, although the stats vary depending on the PS4 model. The Xbox One S and Series X, meanwhile, both consume 0.5 watts while in “regulatory standby,” while the Xbox Series S is slightly more efficient at 0.4 watts, according to Xbox’s official website. This all happens without even diving into an actual session of an AAA adventure. “Active Gaming” on PS5 with Marvel’s Spider-Man rockets power consumption up to 107.1 Watts.
The total financial outlay for these standby modes seems small, if not entirely insignificant. There is still debate about the exact financial toll of consoles going semi-sleep for long periods of time, with estimates ranging from about $27 per year to a meager $1, although these figures largely depend on what activities users have set their sleep consoles to. to perform. A UK gas study reportedly suggested that households could save around £150 a year by unplugging multiple “vampire devices”, though the study failed to take into account many new benchmarks for modern technology and was accused of diverting blame from energy companies and external factors.
=Excessive charging and downloading will increase usage and thus spend, although it’s worth bearing in mind that the savings from not charging via a console’s USB will likely be spent elsewhere anyway. It seems that microtransactions, loot boxes and pay-to-win pricing models pose a much greater threat to players’ hard-earned money than inefficient console use.
Even if the financial costs turn out to be reassuringly minimal, the costs to the planet may not be. The unavoidable truth is that all appliances on standby of any kind consume electricity and, if that electricity comes from non-renewable sources, it contributes to the undeniable effects of global warming, climate change and possibly an eventual climate catastrophe. A single device can contribute minimally, but it goes without saying that large numbers of consoles plugged in all year round can have a significant impact on overall power consumption. From a financial point of view, the price may be worth paying, but from an ecological or even ethical point of view, the cost can be much higher.
0 Comments