Huge energy wasters can come in small packages.
Did you know that Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 use large amounts of electricity and can each consume as much energy as TWO new refrigerators?!
According to a new report released by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), you can cut your electric bill by as much as $100 a year simply by turning it off your Xbox 360 or Sony Play Station 3 when you are finished playing.
Playstation 3 uses five times the power of a stand-alone Sony Blu-ray player to play the same movie. This is a particularly dramatic difference considering these two products are made by the same company.
Changes need to be made.
The NRDC is urging manufacturers to make future systems more energy efficient, to help save consumers money, for our clean energy future, and reduce global warming pollution.
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Looking at the “big three” video game consoles – Sony Playstation 3, Microsoft XBox360, and Nintendo’s Wii – the report measured the amount of power they use when they are active, idle and turned off. It found these systems use nearly the same amount of power when you are playing them as they do when you leave them on and walk away.
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On average, the report found that Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 use large amounts of electricity –150 Watts and 119 Watts respectively. These two systems can each consume more than 1,000 kilowatt-hours per year if left on all the time.
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The Nintendo Wii, however, uses significantly less power when on (at <20 Watts) and actually uses slightly less power than the previous generation of their console.
NRDC is working with the leading video game hardware and software designers to help make these improvements. In particular, NRDC is working to make sure users will be able to automatically save their settings and place in the game before they shut down the systems.
For more info: For a full copy of the report, and ideas for saving energy in your home, click here.
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Comments
I own a PS3 and it should be noted that the system does allow you to automatically shut down the system after a user defined amount of time. I for one am aware of the energy needs of the PS3 and always shut down my system when done playing a game. I go so far that I do not leave it in stand by mode I actualy get up and manually switch it off. It's interesting that the new PS3 slim has lost this option to switch off the system and I think you may only be able to leave it in stand by unless you unplug it. However, Sony is stating that the new PS3 slim cuts energy use by over 30%.
Don't take offense here, but you should not write about stuff that you do not know about. That picture you are using is like 5 years old. The PS3's controller does not even look anything close to that. So right there, I am going to disregard most of what you say. Secondly, if you keep your PS3 or Xbox on ALL the time, 24 hours a day, you are a friggin botard.
Sony just released a new PS3 Slim which uses 33% less power. Where is that stated in your incoherent ranting? And why the jab at video games? My TV uses 3 times the amount of power that my consoles use. My air conditioning uses an ungodly amount of power. My water heater uses power. My microwave uses power. My incandescent lamps use power (yes I still use them). My computer uses power. Jeez, with articles like this, it's no wonder gaming get a bad wrap.
Hey, “ok”, chill out! You've been playing way too much UFC 2009. The article is clearly to address a small electronic component in a large amount of people's homes that has not previously been exposed as being a large consumer of energy. I have a Wii at home and had no idea that it might or might not use a large amount of power and was glad to see that it is in fact lower than its competitors in that regard. And Sony’s 30% more effective unit still puts it at about 5 times Wii’s consumption, so nuts to that.
The truth is that this article does nothing to bash gaming, but instead rings a bell that we should all pay attention to. The manufacturers should work hard on future models to make them as energy efficient as possible AND if you are the kind of gamer who leaves their unit on constantly, you should know that you are not only wasting your own money, but also contributing to the environmental problems associated with poor energy management. Kudos on the article!
Read this article and your worries of PS3 power consumption while in standby will go away. Also, I don't recommend flipping off the switch in the back. My friend always did it and one day it would not turn on. I don't usually, but when I turned it off to bring it to a friends place one time. It would not turn on for me. Luckily our systems were within warranty. My theory is that it is a shock to the system, even in standby. But thats just a theory. Take is as you will. Since this site will not let me put a link. Go to cnet and search for the following. PS3's standby and off modes, (virtually) separated at birth
"Huge energy wasters can come in small packages."
Your photo tag made me laugh out loud. PS3 is hardly a small package compared to any of the systems (though PS3 Slim will be better). I just found it very ironic and funny! Thanks :)
Actually, John, I was comparing the PS3 to refrigerators... but I'm glad to put a smile on your face.
The point of the piece is that manufacturers should be making a bigger priority of producing gaming consoles which are energy efficient. Your opinions as consumers are enormously powerful. Send your ideas and requests for product upgrades to the companies directly, through their forums, on their Facebook pages, or tweet them. They'll listen. After all, they hope you'll purchase their next versions.
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