How Much Does It Cost to Run a Game Console?

A console draws power in every mode, and the yearly bill is usually smaller than you would guess. See the watts for each mode and the math for your own rate.

A console’s price tag is only the first cost. Once it is plugged in, it draws electricity for gaming, streaming, downloads and rest mode, and all of it shows up on the electric bill. The yearly total is usually modest, but it varies more than most owners expect depending on the console, the games and the settings.

Why Console Power Use Matters

Modern consoles are not simple game machines that switch fully off. They listen for voice commands, hold a network connection, download updates and charge controllers, and most of those features draw power even when nobody is playing. ENERGY STAR has calculated that when every power-hungry feature stays switched on, consoles across the country collectively draw as much electricity as every household in a city the size of Houston, or about what four power plants produce.

Two habits drive most of the waste. Half the electricity a console consumes is used while it sits on standby, and staying constantly connected to the internet for updates accounts for over half of total consumption, according to Hydro-Québec.

Electricity belongs in any purchase decision too. If you are weighing a new system, the real cost of a new gaming console covers the expenses beyond the sticker price.

How Many Watts a Console Draws

An average console uses about 90 watts during active gaming and 1 to 2 watts in standby, and most consoles land somewhere between 70 and 300 watts overall. For other uses like video and downloads, most consoles use in the 50 to 70 watt range. Actual running wattage usually sits near 80 percent of the rated maximum.

Generation matters most. An Xbox One draws 112 watts and a PS4 draws 137 watts, while current-generation machines like the PS5 and Xbox Series X draw 160 to 200 watts with new-generation games, according to the Natural Resources Defense Council, and demanding 4K titles can push past 200 watts. Microsoft’s measurements of the Xbox Series X show power swinging from 70 to 150 watts within a single session as the machine moves between menus, loading screens and active rendering.

Here is the picture by mode:

Mode	Typical power draw	Details
Active gaming, older console	112 to 137 watts	Xbox One and PS4
Active gaming, current generation	160 to 200 watts	PS5 and Xbox Series X, higher for demanding 4K games
Streaming or downloads, most consoles	50 to 70 watts	Varies with program resolution
Streaming video, PS5	50 to 90 watts	Varies with program resolution
Idle at the menu, PS5	50 to 60 watts	Home screen
Rest mode, PS5 default settings	3 to 5 watts	10 to 15 watts with downloads or controller charging
Off but plugged in	1 to 2 watts	Average console in standby

Portable systems like the Switch and Steam Deck draw the least power of any console type, sometimes at the cost of graphical fidelity, and newer designs generally use less than older ones.

Gaming vs. Streaming

Gaming is the expensive mode, and resolution is a big reason. 4K applies four times as many pixels as 1080p, which draws additional power, and energy use drops when older games are played on new consoles.

Streaming uses fewer watts than gaming but wastes energy for the job. A console consumes 10 to 25 times more electricity than a TV or streaming stick to watch the same program, which is why energy-efficiency guides suggest a dedicated streaming device for video. There is one more trap: switch off the TV but leave the console running, and it keeps drawing power at those levels for an hour or more.

The Rest Mode Question

Rest mode exists for convenience. In that low-powered state the console downloads updates, charges controllers and stays ready to start again, so many owners leave it on around the clock. PlayStation cautions owners to unplug the console only after it has been switched off properly, since pulling power at the wrong moment can corrupt saved data or damage the machine.

The cost is real but small. A console idling at 5 watts around the clock draws far less than it does while gaming, so leaving rest mode on adds only a modest amount to the yearly bill. The exact figure depends on your local rate, and on how often overnight downloads or controller charging push the draw to 10 to 15 watts. Full shutdown is cheaper still: a console that is off but plugged in draws only 1 to 2 watts. For what rest mode does and when to use it, how rest mode works on your game console covers the details.

Doing the Math With Your Electricity Rate

The formula is short: total watts × hours used ÷ 1,000 = kWh. Multiply that by your electricity rate and you have the cost.

A worked example: a 200 watt console played one hour every day uses about 73 kWh a year. At $0.16 per kWh, the average residential rate in the United States for 2024, that comes to roughly $11.68 for the year. Location moves the total: California pays about $0.26 per kWh, roughly 60 percent more than the national average, while Utah has the cheapest electricity in the country at about $0.11 per kWh, around 30 percent less.

Tighten the estimate two ways:

1. Use the rate printed on your own utility bill instead of a national average.
2. For real numbers, an AC power meter costing about $15 sits between the outlet and the console, and a couple of hours of play shows what your setup actually draws.

When buying new, check the EnergyGuide label on the packaging for estimated energy use, and look for the ENERGY STAR label, which marks models that have proven especially efficient.

Easy Ways to Lower the Cost

Pro tip

Set your console to power down automatically after an hour of inactivity. Energy agencies and console makers point to this setting first, and it targets standby, where half of a console’s electricity goes.

Other changes that pay off:

• Use energy-saving power modes. Switching an Xbox One from instant-on to its energy-saving power option turns off the always-listening and network features and cuts standby draw by 98 percent.
• Trim controller charging. A Sony update lets PS4 USB ports drop to a much lower power state once controllers are full, cutting consumption by over 65 percent, and controllers can switch themselves off after 10, 30 or 60 minutes.
• Disconnect unused accessories. The Kinect motion sensor for Xbox draws up to 14 watts whenever the console is on, so unplug it if nobody in the house uses motion controls.
• Cut connectivity you don’t use. Switching off network features you never touch trims the always-on draw.
• Add a timer. A power bar with a timer or a configurable smart outlet cuts power at set hours and ends silent standby draw.
• Stream somewhere else. A dedicated streaming device plays the same shows for a fraction of the electricity.
• Keep it cool and current. Cooling fans work harder in warm, poorly ventilated spaces, which raises power draw, and updates often bring efficiency improvements. PS5 owners can also turn on Power Saver for supported games.

How Consoles Compare to Other Electronics

Consoles sit in the middle of home gaming power use. A typical gaming PC consumes 300 to 600 watts, and high-end machines can reach 1,000 watts, while most consoles use 100 to 200 watts. Monitors add another 20 to 100 watts to either setup. The sharpest contrast is video: a console burns 10 to 25 times more electricity than a streaming stick playing the same show.

The pattern for a household choosing hardware: handhelds draw the least, consoles sit well below gaming PCs, and your settings change the bill as much as the machine.

Player questions

How much does it cost to leave a console in rest mode all year?
A PS5 in rest mode with default settings draws 3 to 5 watts, and 10 to 15 watts while downloading games or charging controllers. That adds up over a year but stays well below the cost of daily gaming, and the exact figure depends on your local rate.

Does a console use electricity when it is turned off?
Yes, a small amount. A console that is off but still plugged in draws 1 to 2 watts on average. A power bar with a timer or a smart outlet ends that draw entirely.

Is it cheaper to stream on a TV app than on a console?
Yes. A console consumes 10 to 25 times more electricity than a TV or streaming device to watch the same program, so a dedicated streaming device is the efficient choice.

How can I find my console’s real power draw?
An AC power meter costing about $15 plugs into the wall outlet, and the console plugs into the meter. A couple of hours of play will show exactly what your setup uses.

Games, platforms and settings change with updates, so check the official help pages for your platform if something looks different.