Today’s top consoles cost modern gamers four times as much to power as older consoles, it’s been revealed.
We all know that gaming is an expensive pastime, with consoles costing £300 to £400 and top games costing around £50 each. But that’s pretty much been the case ever since the ’90s.
There’s another way that modern gamers are being hit in the pocket, however, that stands in stark contrast to a couple of decades ago.
British Gas has revealed some startling figures from a report it commissioned the Centre for Economic and Business Research to conduct. Apparently, powering a modern console costs four times as much as it did in the 1990s.
To give some specific numbers here, the PS4 costs the average gamer £35 per year to power, whilst the Xbox One costs £43.
Compare that to the Sega Megadrive and SNES from the ’90s, which cost £11 and £12 per year respectively, and you’ll note a massive discrepancy.
“While other modern household appliances like washing machines and fridges use less energy than they did twenty years ago, the cost of games consoles continue to rise,” says Daniel Colford of British Gas.
“This is not surprising given how much more functionality games consoles now have.”
Related: Best games 2015
Modern consoles act as media players as well as games consoles, and the Xbox One and PS4 even remain on at all times in a so-called ‘low-power’ state so that they can download games and updates in the background.
If rising energy costs are bothering you, British Gas recommends switching these consoles off properly when not in use. It’s possible to deactivate this always-on state on both consoles, but you could always just switch them off at the wall if you’re in a hurry.
Next, take a look at our PS4 vs Xbox One comparison video:
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
