How Many Watts / Electricity Does An Xbox One Use? The Xbox One was the eagerly anticipated successor to Microsoft’s highly successful Xbox 360 console. Since its official release back in November of 2013, experts estimate that over 50 million units of the console have been sold.
If you’re planning to get an Xbox One or you already have one in your household, it would be good to know just how much it affects your electric bill.
That way, you can tweak your gaming habits per your energy allowance.
Continue reading to learn and gain knowledge about the impact that your Xbox One has on your electric bills.
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How Many Watts Does an Xbox One Use?
During active gameplay, the original Xbox One uses an estimated 70 to 120 watts of electricity. The amount of power the console uses will vary based on how demanding a specific game is. When streaming video, the console’s consumption rate settles at around 74 watts. In connected standby mode, the Xbox One uses somewhere around 15.7 watts of electricity.
How Much Power Does a Standard Xbox One Use?
Consoles like the Xbox One provide us with countless hours of entertainment.
You can use your trusty console to play online with friends, go on adventures inside digital worlds, or even stream some videos using compatible apps.
It’s an all-in-one entertainment center for many of us.
Given how often we use our consoles, it makes sense for us to learn more about their impact on our electric bills.
So, how much electricity does a standard Xbox One unit consume?
Estimates indicate that an Xbox One console will consume about 70 to 120 watts of electricity during active gameplay.
The exact amount of electricity your console uses will depend on which game you are currently playing.
Games with less impressive graphics and hardware demands will require less energy to run.
If you’re pushing your Xbox One to run a high-end game, then expect your consumption to spike as well.
What Is the Power Consumption of an Xbox One While Streaming?
As I noted above, consoles like the Xbox One are used for more than just playing games.
These days, people also use them to stream their favorite shows and movies.
Streaming on an Xbox One console is possible using either the browser or the apps specially designed for it.
That added functionality of the Xbox One is a nice touch, but how much is it costing you?
A report from the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) says that your Xbox One is costing you a lot if you are using it for streaming.
A report published by the NRDC back in 2014 indicates that the Xbox One uses around 74 watts of electricity while it is streaming video.
The advocacy group notes that the amount of power the console uses is 30 to 45 times more than what dedicated streaming devices utilize.
Although the versatility of the Xbox One as an entertainment center is something you can appreciate, you may not want to take advantage of it if you’re trying to reduce your energy bills.
In that case, sticking with your streaming gadgets may be the preferable option.
In Standby mode, How many Watts does an Xbox One consume?
An important thing to note about modern game consoles is that they may not be truly powered off even when you think they are. Instead of completely powering down, they may enter a type of standby mode.
The Xbox One may be going into connected standby mode instead of shutting down completely when you turn it off.
The console going into connected standby mode isn’t always a terrible thing.
In that mode, it can continue downloading games or updates and it can also boot up faster.
However, keeping your Xbox One in connected standby mode also means that it is still drawing power. It’s a significant amount of power at that.
The NRDC report we mentioned earlier reveals that the Xbox One uses up about 15.7 watts of electricity while it is in connected standby mode.
That may not seem like much compared to the energy the Xbox One consumes when you are playing or streaming video, but just remember that the console is in standby mode often.
Over time, all that additional consumption can pile up and greatly affect your electric bill.
You need to be wary of that and decide how you want to leave your console whenever you aren’t using it.
What Is the Annual Cost of Using an Xbox One?
Learning about the amount of electricity your Xbox One uses is important so you can be aware of how it affects your household.
If you’re trying to become more energy-efficient at home, you may have to change up the way your Xbox One.
If you want to save money on your electric bill, you may need to change how you use your console. Xbox One owners who regularly use their console may be tacking on about $12 to $20 to their electric costs annually.
You can slice into that by completely shutting down your console whenever you are not using it.
Unplug it from the socket to avoid wasting any more power..
Also, consider streaming using devices other than your Xbox One if you wish to keep your electric bills on the lower side.
Frequently Asked Questions about How Many Watts Does an Xbox One Use?
How Many Watts of Electricity Do the Other Versions of the Xbox One Use?
The more powerful Xbox One X – a mid-generation update of the console – consumes an average of 65 to 180 watts of electricity during gameplay.
Meanwhile, the more compact Xbox One S consumes 35 to 90 watts of electricity when it is in use.
How Can You Reduce the Xbox One’s Energy Consumption?
Aside from not streaming and powering off your Xbox One completely, there are other things you can do to reduce its power draw.
Updating your console allows it to take advantage of any recently released energy-saving features.
You can also disconnect any peripherals from the console that may be draining power themselves.
Conclusion
The Xbox One is an impressive example of modern technology, but its energy efficiency leaves a lot to be desired. You need to account for that whenever you go to use your console.
