At a time when energy is more and more expensive, power consumption is obviously scrutinized by households, and so this includes consoles and other devices that we use on a daily basis. If you play on Xbox Series X|S or Xbox One, more power options were added last November, but the manufacturer will go even further. Indeed, if you remember, in March 2022, Microsoft committed to offering 100% recyclable products by 2030investing in particular 500 million dollars alongsideAlphabet and Salesforce within a global framework aimed at eliminating 100,000 tonnes of CO2 over this period, as announcement at the annual meeting of World Economic Forum. The firm headed by Satya Nadella is therefore a good student and is not going to stop there, as evidenced by the blog post share this day on XboxWire.
Thereby, the members Xbox Insiders can now discover some changes to better manage the power supply of their consoles with the aim of reducing the carbon footprint of updates and downloads by scheduling them at times when electricity is produced more with renewable energies, thanks to the mode Shut down (power saving). Another novelty aimed at reducing the Watts consumed, the Hours of activity, a defined range outside of which a total stop is operated to reduce consumption to 0.5 W. All of this is detailed below.
Xbox has made strong commitments to significantly reduce our company’s impact on the environment, around three strong ambitions for Microsoft by 2030: a negative carbon footprint, a positive water footprint and a zero-waste policy. To this end, we have rethought the methods of design, manufacture, delivery and use of our products.
Last March, we told you more about Xbox’s efforts in terms of sustainable development, whether it concerns our devices, our games, waste reduction and the collective actions undertaken. We are continually looking for new ways to innovate, learn and improve, while continuing to collaborate with our industry partners and game developers. We are responsible for the carbon emissions resulting from the production and distribution of our products, but also those related to the use of these products in your homes. Thus, the design of our machines like our games with a view to optimizing renewable energies can have a significant impact.
We wish today tell you more about the updates that will gradually be available for Xbox Insiders. The changes they propose will allow our community to choose to reduce their impact on the environment when playing video games.
Xbox is now the first console to offer carbon-conscious downloads and updates
We can reduce the carbon footprint of updates and downloads by scheduling them to launch during times when the console will be able to use as much renewable energy as possible. Windows Update has been taking carbon into account since last year on Windows 11 PCs and now will also be the case for Xbox consoles.
When your console is plugged in, connected to the internet, and regional carbon intensity data is available, it will schedule updates games, applications and system at certain times during the nightly maintenance window. This may result in lower carbon emissions, as a higher proportion of electricity comes from low-carbon sources on the power grid. For example, instead of waking up at a random time during the night, between 2:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m., your Xbox will choose a time when it can use as much renewable energy as possible in your area. This will reduce dependence on fossil fuels and CO emissions2 and could potentially save you money. This update is currently only available to Insiders using Shut Down (Power Saving) Modebut it will be very soon for everyone, so that your Xbox can take carbon into account.
Settings for your Xbox to save power
Starting today, Xbox Series X|S Xbox Insiders will automatically go into shutdown (power saving) mode. This will reduce your consumption when your console is off and will not affect its performance, your gameplay or the possibility of receiving updates for your games, applications or the system overnight. Remote features, on the other hand, are only available when your console is on, and you won’t be able to wake it up remotely if the console is off.
You can change these settings at any time and choose the option that suits you. Shutdown (power saving) mode reduces power consumption up to 20 times compared to Sleep mode.
We’re continuing to bring you more ways to reduce your impact on the environment, and Xbox One consoles will also offer new power modes, including Shut Down (Power Saving) Mode, available today. Xbox One consoles will notify their players of this change via messages. They will be able to give their feedback on their experience.
Shut down (power saving) mode will allow Xbox One consoles to receive game, app, and system updates overnight, just like on Xbox Series X|S. When this mode is selected, Xbox Ones will take longer to boot up. Remote features will remain active as long as the console is powered on.
We encourage you to inform yourself about the feeding options available. Each small individual step has an impact on our collective effort, choosing the Stop mode (energy saving) can have a real and significant consequence. If two consoles went into Shutdown (energy saving) mode for a year, the less carbon would equal the amount removed by a tree grown for 10 years. This finding holds true considering that Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One are in Shut Down (Power Saving) mode an average of 20 hours per day for a year, power saving and carbon emissions avoided may vary by console and other factors. Calculation performed via the Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator | U.S. EPA.
Work for sustainability with ‘Active Hours’ and Sleep Mode
“Active Hours” is another new power-saving feature that Xbox Insiders can start experiencing today. If you choose to use Sleep Mode, you can now choose your console’s active hours. Your Xbox will start up faster and can be woken remotely during set times. When the stipulated time has passed, your console will shut down completely and use 0.5W instead of the 10-15W it requires when active.
- On Xbox Series X|S, active hours will be set automatically and scheduled based on how you use the console.
- On Xbox One, you will be able to configure your active hours yourself. This option will be disabled by default if you do not modify it.
How to help us
We can’t do it without you. We must work with gamers, developers, studios and the rest of the industry to reduce the impact of video games on the environment. We’re committed to working with our developers, partnering with nonprofits, and empowering you to make more informed decisions.
Here are some concrete ways to help us:
- Choose settings that help you and your Xbox save power.
Select Shut Down (Power Saving) mode on your Xbox. If you’re not an Xbox Insider and want to change your settings before the automatic update, go to Settings > General > Power Options. This will help you save power and enable future updates for your Xbox.
- Consider carbon : Opt for automatic updates. When your Xbox is set up like this and you have chosen Shut Down (Power Saving) mode, your Xbox will take carbon into account.
- Set automatic shutdown after a shorter period of inactivity. This will reduce the time it takes for your console to turn off if you’re not using it. By default, it will turn off after an hour of inactivity, but you can decrease this time by going to Settings > General > Power Options > Customize Power Options.
For more information on our actions in terms of sustainable development, go to xbox.com/sustainability.
And if you ever find that 0.5 W is still too much, you can always unplug your Xbox Series X|S or Xbox One console when you’re not using it to keep the expense down to zero ! The Xbox Series S is currently sold €272.64 on Amazon.
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