Skip to main content

PS4 and Xbox One could consume more energy annually than Houston, TX

A recent study from the National Resources Defense Council tested the next-gen consoles – specifically the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One – to see how much energy the systems used. The results show that, despite some big steps taken by Sony and Microsoft, the new consoles use up to three times more energy than their predecessors.

The good news is that the study went on to show that the new systems are actually 25-percent more energy efficient than the PS3 and Xbox 360. They also feature energy saving modes that automatically kick in after several minutes of inactivity, and both use power supplies designed to be as efficient as possible. Still, the consoles are power hogs.

Recommended Videos

If 100 million Americans run next-gen consoles in a year, a number that is very possible based on the current gen sales, the systems will eat up a staggering amount of energy, “between 10 and 11 billion kilowatt hours of electricity annually!”

Yeah, we have no idea what that means either. But according to the report, that alone would amount for $1 billion in annual electricity bills. To further contextualize it, the combined energy used by the consoles each year would be more “than all the households in Houston, America’s fourth-largest city.”

To break it down, the Xbox One uses around 40-percent more power to play a game than the Xbox 360, while the PS4 uses almost twice the energy that the PS3 does. In the tests involving the systems operating while in the active mode, the PS4 “requires significantly more power to perform similar tasks as the Xbox One.” This, according to the report, is due to the PS4 delivering higher resolution images thanks to a more powerful graphics processor.

On the other hand, the Xbox One uses twice as much energy while the standby mode, due to the system keeping some functions active – specifically the Kinect, which continually receives enough energy to keep it ready to accept the voice command “Xbox on,” even if the system has not been turned on for days. The “always listening” feature accounts for nearly half the Xbox One’s energy consumption annually. Because of this, the Xbox One is expected to consume more energy per year than the PS4.

The graph below shows the exact results of the tests. Both systems were tested with their respective cameras connected, and USB charging enabled (hence the footnote in the first graph).

 PS4 Xbox energy

PS4 Xbox energy round 2
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Ryan Fleming
Former Gaming/Movies Editor
Ryan Fleming is the Gaming and Cinema Editor for Digital Trends. He joined the DT staff in 2009 after spending time covering…
Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is more than Xbox’s Uncharted
Indiana Jones rappels into a tomb in Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

Creating an Indiana Jones video game is a daunting task. It’s not just that you have to honor an iconic film franchise that fans are very protective of; you also need to make it stand out from Uncharted, a beloved series that is already ostensibly a thinly veiled Indiana Jones adaptation. It’s a challenge, but one that MachineGames seems to have cracked with Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.

Ahead of its latest trailer reveal at Gamescom Opening Night Live, I got a deeper look into the upcoming action-adventure game. While previous looks have focused on story, the latest presentation gives a much deeper look into its combat, exploration, and more. While there are some parallels to Uncharted, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle feels more indebted to Wolfenstein, Hitman, and even The Chronicles of Riddick: Escape from Butcher Bay. That makes it feel much more like an Indiana Jones game than a boilerplate tomb-raiding adventure.
Tools of the trade
Set after Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Great Circle begins at Marshall College, where someone steals a priceless relic. Jones teams up with photojournalist Gina to recover it, only to discover that there’s a wider conspiracy at play that goes through Nazi territory. With the help of some companions, they set out on a globe-trotting adventure that involves the villainous Emmerich Voss and the titular Great Circle, a ring that connects the world’s biggest landmarks (an idea that came from producer Todd Howard).

Read more
One of the PS5’s best exclusives is coming to Xbox, and it’s still great
Key art for Kena: Bridge of Spirits.

There has been a lot of talk this year about Xbox console exclusives like Hi-Fi Rush, As Dusk Falls, and Sea of Thieves going multiplatform and being readily available on the PlayStation 5 as a result. For once, we're seeing that process work the other way around.

Next week, Ember Labs will release Kena: Bridge of Spirits on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. This game has a reputation as being one of the best-looking PS5 exclusives. Having gone hands-on with its Xbox Series X port, I can say that Kena: Bridge of Spirits is just as good as it's ever been on the new platform. If you never had a chance to try Kena: Bridge of Spirits because you don't own a PS5, this Xbox port gives you the perfect excuse to check out this memorable adventure.

Read more
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor finally coming to PS4 and Xbox One in September
Cal Kestis wielding his blue lightsaber and carrying BD-1 in Star Wars Jedi: Survivor.

EA and Respawn Entertainment have revealed that PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor will come out on September 17. That means players who only own last-gen consoles will be able to try out this excellent action-adventure game that was previously exclusive to PC and current-gen consoles.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is a sequel to 2019's Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and continues the story of Cal Kestis, who stumbles upon a new threat connected to the universe's High Republic era. I gave the game a four-star review when it launched in April 2023, writing that "Star Wars Jedi: Survivor still tells a thematically rich, character-driven Jedi tale in one of the most densely packed 3D Metroidvania games I’ve ever played. It’s now the definitive single-player Star Wars experience."

Read more