How Much Electricity (Power) Does a PS5 Use?
PS5 is a very popular gaming console. This PlayStation 5 (PS5) model was finally released on November 12, 2020. I had the opportunity to borrow a PS5 immediately a few days after it was released, so I compared the startup time, loading time, electricity consumption, and graphics with PlayStation 4 Pro (PS4 Pro) to see how much it has evolved.
At first, I was surprised. The PS5 has a lot of changes in it, from the electronic equipment to the design itself. In this article, we’ll talk about that. So, let’s start!
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How Much Electricity (Power) Does a PS5 Use?
So How Much Electricity Does a PS5 Use? If you playing PS5 on a regular LED TV, you will use approximately 260 watts (200 watts for the PS5 + 60 watts for the TV). For the 2h gaming session, you will use 520 watt-hours, which will cost you about 7 cents (13 cents per kW is the average price in the United States).
The power consumption test on PS5 showed that running “Spider-Man: Miles Morales” consumes 200 watts in game mode. There is no significant increase if we compare this value to the previous PlayStation models. The PS4 Pro model runs this same game at 150 watts in 4K extreme mode.
The PlayStation is a console used for entertainment and, therefore, is used by the whole family. However, the power PS5 will consume during playing depends on the type of TV and the current operating mode. PS5 only consumes 5 to 7 watts during the standby mode, while during the play mode, the consumption will be from 140 to 200 watts.
The average electricity price in the United States is approximately 13 cents / kWh, which is approximately approx. 4 cents per gaming hour. If you want to know more about the electricity (power) consumption of PS5 and its effects, continue to read this article.
Sony PS5 Consumes More Power Than Gaming Laptop
We tested and found that the Sony PS5 consumes between 140W and 200W in the gaming mode. Gaming Consoles are usually designed and optimized not to be too power-consumption, but this new next-gen gaming model will certainly bound up the figures because of its demanding hardware capabilities. It is obvious that Sony PS5’s power consumption beats the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 gaming laptop.
The PS5 consumes about 200W at peak load and runs next-gen games like Astro Bot or Spider-Man: Miles Morales. The new Sony PS5 matches higher-end gaming laptops in terms of electricity consumption, like NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q, which consumes about 200W.
If we compare with some powerful laptops on the market, we can see that RTX 2070 laptops consume up to 200W, while the RTX 2060 laptops consume around 180W. Remember that some RTX 2080 Super laptop models can exceed 300W with extra configurations. You should know that the PS5 comes with a 350W power supply, so it can even go overclock a bit and still stay in the power limit of its PSU.
Electricity (Power) Consumption of PlayStation 5
The power consumption of PS5 primarily depends on the type of mode in which the console is used. So, to know exactly how much each mode consumes power on your PlayStation, you need to consider some of the following circumstances. The following values are generally average values and they can vary.
- Switched Off mode: When the PS5 is turned off, only the LED lamp is turned ON, so the power consumption is between 0.1 and 0.3 watts per hour.
- Stand-by mode: During the standby mode, PlayStation 5 consumes around 5 to 7 watts. If the console is doing some updates and other downloads, it uses up to 15 watts per hour.
- Menu mode: When we use the operating menu, the PS5 consumes between 80 and 90 watts per hour.
- 4K Blu-Ray mode: Playing videos and films on your PS5, e.g. from a 4K Blu-Ray, your console will consume up to 93 watts per hour.
- Gaming mode: This is the mode that PS5 users will probably most use. The power consumption in this mode is between 140 and 200 watts per hour. Remember that power consumption in this mode also depends on the resolution and the graphics engine of the game.
PS5 is Less Economical With Demanding Games
With Sony’s new console, NextGen means more power and a more efficient use of energy. Even when switched off, the PS5 is more economical with 1.3 watts than the PS4 Pro, which uses 1.5 watts in offline mode. Although this consumption is useless, it is only a sign that PS5 offers something big.
So, while we can click through the main menu and download games to save energy, it looks a little different when playing. The tested Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales demanded 203 watts from the PS5 under strong power. On the other hand, God of War only consumed 177 watts on the PS4 Pro under a similar load. The comparison is not big, but it still makes a difference.
This means that the highest measured value of the PS5 is around 200 watts. From these comparisons, we can see that the new Sony PS5 requires quite a lot of electricity because the games are more demanding.
PS5 Energy Usage Modes
The power consumption of PS5 will primarily depend on the operating mode. Every mode on this console places different demands on the hardware and graphic card; therefore, the differences are considerable. For example, when the Sony console is on standby, the consumption is between 5 to 7 watts.
When we turn on the PS5 and go into idle (menu) mode, the consumption is around 70 watts. But there are also a lot of different operating modes, which you can find in the table below.
PS5 Energy Usage on Different Operating Modes:
| Mode: | Watts: | Cost Per Hour: |
|---|---|---|
| PS5 Offline | 0.1-0.3 | $0.0001 |
| PS5 Standby | 5-7 | $0.0006- $0.0009 |
| PS5 Idle (Menu) | 80-90 | $0.010- $0.011 |
| PS5 Blu-Ray Mode | 93 | $0.012 |
| PS5 Netflix | 89 | $0.011 |
| PS5 Game Install | 110 | $0.014 |
| PS5 Gaming Mode | 140-200 | $0.026 |
Tips For Saving Electricity on the PS5
Just as every console can save energy, so can the PS5 save electricity if you follow the appropriate tips we will give you. Remember that these savings will not be large, but you can certainly take them into account after some time and save money.
4 Tips with which you can ensure that your PlayStation 5 will use less power:
- Standby Mode: You can adjust your settings to save energy in standby mode. For example, you can set your PS5 not to connect to the internet in standby mode, so automatic updates do not work.
- Blu-ray Mode: If you plan to watch movies, watch them on a Blu-ray player, as it will consume around 20 watts, compared to PS5, which consumes 80 watts per hour.
- Switchable Multiple Socket: With this, you can switch off all devices, including PS5, completely, so no electricity is wasted, even in offline mode. (Make sure that your PS5 is shut down completely before switching off the multiple sockets, otherwise, the PlayStation’s hard disk could be damaged)
- Sleep Mode: This can be very handy when you take a pause from time to time, and you want to pick up exactly where you left off. This can also be served while you downloading a new update.
How to Actually Measure Power Consumption?
The best and most accurate way to measure PS5 electricity usage is to use Kill A Watt Meter. With this device, you can easily measure and monitor any electric device and see real-time energy consumption. If you are interested in buying one, you can check the price on Amazon HERE.
In addition to measuring the consumption of your PS5, you can also use it for any other electrical device in your home to get a better insight into how much power each device consumes. This is a pretty cool device if you ask me!
Sony PS5 Vs Others – Electricity Comparison
Now that the PS5 is out, it would be good to compare it to the rest of the competition in the market and see how it stands out. Since this model comes with a high-end graphics card, it would be interesting to see how much energy (power) it all actually uses from the outlet. Let’s look and see which of these game consoles is the most economical to use.
| Console: | Watts: | Cost Per Hour: |
|---|---|---|
| PS5 | 50- 220 | $0.0065-$0.0286 |
| PS4 Pro | 75-160 | $0.0097-$0.0208 |
| PS4 Slim | 55-110 | $0.0067-$0.0143 |
| Xbox One X | 65-180 | $0.0085-$0.0234 |
| Xbox One S | 35 – 90 | $0.0045-$0.0117 |
| Wii U | 35 | $0.0045-$ |
PS5 Comes With a Dual Voltage
First of all, for some devices to be dual voltage, it means that it is capable of accepting both 110-120V and 220-240V connections. Therefore, no matter where you are (US or UK), you should be able to use and play your PS5 without investing in a converter. This is a massive deal; you won’t have to worry about the step-down converters used until now. The UK, US, and Europe have different electrical systems, which require most consoles to have a dual voltage converter.
If you want to learn more about this topic, be sure to watch this YouTube video:
FAQ: People Also Ask
How much electricity does PS5 use in rest mode?
Sony’s research indicates that the PS5 consumes 0.36 Watts of energy per hour in rest mode and can use up to 3.2 Watts when downloading and charging via USB. In comparison, a PS4 might use about 4.1 Watts per hour for USB charging, though this can differ based on the specific PS4 model.
Is it OK to leave PS5 in rest mode 24/7?
Is it okay to leave my PS5 in rest mode overnight? Absolutely. The PS5 is engineered to be in “rest” mode whenever it’s not actively in use. You could keep it in this mode for a month without harming the hardware.
How long can a PS5 stay on before it overheats?
Playing for over five hours might lead to the system overheating. It’s advisable to give your PS5 some time to cool down before playing again. If the issue persists, further investigation might be necessary to determine the cause of the overheating.
Final Thoughts
After the PS4 hit the market in November 2013, we had to wait 7 years for the PlayStation 5 to arrive. This new PS model exceeded all expectations, from design, quality, and graphical interface to more economical energy consumption. In this article, we described in detail how much PS5 has changed compared to the previous model and how much it actually consumes.
Each PS5 mode requires different power consumption, which is obvious, and the gaming mode requires the most power of all modes. I hope this article has helped you and you know how much your PlayStation 5 affects your energy bill.
