How much does a PS5 or Xbox cost to run?
A current console drawing about 200W while gaming costs about 5.3p an hour at the Ofgem cap rate of 26.32p/kWh. Three hours a day is about £4.74 a month. A Nintendo Switch uses far less. The TV you play on adds its own cost, often around half as much again or more.
Prices last checked: 26 September 2026 · Source: Ofgem energy price cap, 1 October to 31 December 2026 · Great Britain average, standard variable tariff, paid by Direct Debit
Console running cost by activity
Consoles draw very different amounts depending on what they're doing. The figures below are rounded example draws. Measure your own with a plug-in energy monitor for an exact number.
| Console and activity (example draw) | Energy per hour | Cost per hour | Per day (3 h) | Per 30 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Handheld / Switch docked, 15W | 0.015 kWh | 0.4p | 1.2p | 36p |
| PS5 or Xbox, streaming video, 70W | 0.07 kWh | 1.8p | 5.5p | £1.66 |
| Xbox Series X gaming, 170W | 0.17 kWh | 4.5p | 13p | £4.03 |
| PS5 gaming, 200W | 0.2 kWh | 5.3p | 16p | £4.74 |
| Demanding game, bigger draw, 230W | 0.23 kWh | 6.1p | 18p | £5.45 |
Rest mode, instant-on and standby
Standby settings matter more for consoles than for most electronics, because consoles are left plugged in all year:
- PlayStation rest mode keeps the console partly awake to download updates and charge controllers. The console's settings let you turn off features in rest mode, such as keeping USB power on or staying connected to the internet.
- Xbox power options offer a low-power "energy saver" (shutdown) mode and a "sleep" mode that starts faster but uses more. Energy saver is the default on newer consoles.
Even 10W of standby all year is about 88 kWh, roughly £23.06. A console that's fully off or in a low-power mode uses a fraction of that.
Console vs gaming PC
A console usually draws less than a mid-range or high-end gaming PC while gaming. For a player doing three hours a day, the difference between a 200W console and a 450W PC is 0.75 kWh a day, about £72.05 a year at the cap rate. See the gaming PC calculator for more.
Cutting the cost
- Use the console's energy-saving standby mode, especially if you don't need instant updates.
- Watch streaming on the TV's own app rather than through the console. The TV already runs its own smart system, and the console adds its draw on top.
- Set auto-off for when the console is left idle on a menu or paused game.
- Charge controllers from a USB plug rather than leaving the console in rest mode overnight just to charge them.
Common mistakes
- Counting the console but not the TV. The TV is often a big share of the total.
- Using the power supply's rating instead of real draw.
- Forgetting standby, which runs all year.
Limits of this estimate
Console draw varies by game, model revision and settings. The rows are illustrative examples. Costs use the Ofgem cap average unit rate for Great Britain, Direct Debit, standard variable tariff.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to play PS5 for an hour?
At about 200W, around 5.3p for the console, plus the TV. Together often somewhere around 7.9p an hour.
Does a Nintendo Switch use a lot of electricity?
No. Docked it draws far less than a PS5 or Xbox, and charging the handheld costs pennies.
Should I leave my console in rest mode?
It's convenient, but it uses more than switching fully off. If you play daily, the difference is small. If you play once a week, switch off or use the energy-saving mode.