Rest, sleep or shutdown: the setting that decides it
Sony publishes the PS5’s power in each mode: 217 W while gaming, 45 W in menus, 0.3 W in rest mode as it ships, 0.84 W in rest mode with the internet connection kept on, and 4.65 W with USB power on for charging controllers.
The Xbox Series X has two choices. Sleep starts in seconds and keeps downloads going, but draws 10–15 W; Shutdown (energy saving), the mode Microsoft now recommends, draws about 0.5 W. Over a year that is the difference between about 100 kWh and 4 kWh.
What to do
On an Xbox, choose Shutdown (energy saving) in the console’s power options. On a PS5, turn off USB power in rest mode unless you charge controllers overnight.
If you want Sleep for quick starts and downloads, a smart plug can at least switch the console and the rest of the TV corner off at night or when nobody is home. Use the standby audit above to see what the whole corner costs.
What a console costs a year, by mode
| Type | On | Standby | A year* |
|---|---|---|---|
| PS5, rest mode as shipped | 217 W | 0.3 W | €67 |
| PS5, rest mode with USB power | 217 W | 4.7 W | €77 |
| Xbox Series X, Shutdown (energy saving) | 200 W | 0.5 W | €62 |
| Xbox Series X, Sleep | 200 W | 13 W | €89 |
* 3 hours of play a day, at €0.28 per kWh. Power: Sony; Microsoft for Sleep and Shutdown; Xbox gaming power is our estimate.
Questions
How many watts does a PS5 use?
By Sony’s figures, about 217 W while gaming and 45 W in menus; in rest mode 0.3 W as shipped, 0.84 W with the internet connection on and 4.65 W with USB power for charging.
Is it bad to leave an Xbox in Sleep mode?
Not for the console, but it draws 10–15 W whenever you are not playing: about 100 kWh a year. Shutdown (energy saving) draws about 0.5 W. You lose the instant start and background downloads; if you want to keep them, a smart plug can still switch it off at night or when nobody is home.
How much does gaming itself cost?
A current console draws about 200 W while gaming, less than a gaming PC (around 285 W with an RTX 4070 graphics card). Three hours a day comes to about 220–240 kWh a year; set your own hours and tariff in the calculator.
Other devices
Sources: Eurostat: EU average household electricity price, first half of 2026 · Sony: PlayStation 5 power consumption by mode · Tom’s Guide: Microsoft switches the Xbox Series X to energy-saving mode · Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory: standby power · ENERGY STAR product specifications · US Department of Energy: estimating appliance energy use · EU product database for energy labels (EPREL) · EU Regulation 2023/826: standby and off-mode power · Our World in Data / Ember: carbon intensity of electricity, 2025 · Updated 2026-11