Processor power, graphics and game selection have so far been the criteria that gamers have focused on. In view of the energy crisis, however, gamers are also becoming more sensitive to the issue of power consumption. How do Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation and the Nintendo Switch perform in direct comparison?
Until now, most gamers were only marginally interested in how much electricity a games console consumes, if at all. Questions about processor power, top graphics and variety of games were more important. That is currently changing massively.
In a situation of rising energy prices, players are also becoming more aware of issues such as household electricity consumption – and with it the question of how much their own console is a burden on their wallets.
A list by Statista provides an answer. The German online platform for statistics uses data from the games site “Eurogamer” for its current infographic. An average usage of three hours per day was assumed for the sample calculation.
The electricity price was set at 42 cents per kilowatt hour – this average value is from August, so the real costs are likely to be higher in the long term than in the forecast.
The annual electricity consumption of the following consoles in gaming operation and the corresponding costs per year were examined: PS5, PS4, PS4 Pro, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and the OLED version of the switch.
Which console uses the most power?
With a rounded-up of 7 kWh when used for three hours a day, the OLED version of the Nintendo Switch is the most economical console in comparison. The electricity costs per year are 2.30 euros. The original Switch delivers a very similar energy balance: With just over 8 kWh, owners come to very manageable costs of 3.20 euros per year.
The next candidate makes a significant leap: The Xbox Series S requires 93 kWh with the same average operating time and causes 39.10 euros on the electricity bill. Interesting: The predecessor Xbox One offers less computing power, but with 135 kWh it has a significantly higher energy requirement – costs: 56.60 euros per year. The PlayStation 4 consumes even more electricity with 159 kWh and 66.70 euros operating costs per year. The PS4 Pro requires 181 kWh, which corresponds to 75.90 euros.
Gaming PCs are significantly more expensive
No surprise: Microsoft’s current flagship also consumes the most energy among the Xbox models: the Xbox Series X comes with 3 hours of gaming a day to 197 kWh per year and thus causes electricity costs of 82.80 euros. Of course, nobody wants to be on the podium in this comparison, but the biggest power guzzler among the current game consoles is Sony’s PlayStation 5 with 219 kWh and costs 92 euros per year.
However, what was not taken into account in the calculation for the consoles are the monitors and televisions, which, depending on their age and construction, also cause horrendous electricity costs.
If you expand the figures from “Eurogamer” to include the PC division, you will find that gaming PCs are significantly more expensive. Of course, the differences are very pronounced depending on the equipment, but a calculation example with an average value comes to a consumption of 547.5 kilowatt hours and corresponding electricity costs of 230 euros.
