How Much Does It Cost to Run a Gaming Console (PS5, Xbox) in New Brunswick? (2026)
Current generation consoles such as the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X draw around 180 to 220 watts while gaming, closer to 70 watts while streaming video, and just a watt or two in rest mode with instant on disabled.
A typical gaming console (ps5, Xbox) (180 W) costs C$0.030 per hour, or about C$2.69 per month at 3 hours a day in New Brunswick. Average running cost
| Wattage | Per hour | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low 70 W | C$0.012 | C$0.035 | C$1.05 | C$12.73 |
| Typical 180 W | C$0.030 | C$0.090 | C$2.69 | C$32.74 |
| High 220 W | C$0.037 | C$0.11 | C$3.29 | C$40.01 |
Formula: watts ÷ 1000 × hours × price per kWh. Typical use is 3 h/day ≈ 197 kWh per year.
One hour of a gaming console (ps5, Xbox) (0.18 kWh) is the same electricity as
- 3.6hours of a fridge
- 4.0hours of a laptop
- 18hours of Wi-Fi
- 20hours of an LED bulb
In New Brunswick, with electricity at 16.6¢ per kWh (source: Hydro-Québec 2025 comparison, 2025-04), a typical gaming console (ps5, xbox) costs C$0.030 per hour and about C$32.74 per year at 3 hours a day. That is about 19% more than the national average for Canada (C$2.27 per month), because electricity in New Brunswick costs 16.6¢ per kWh against 14.0¢ nationally. Each C$1.00 of electricity buys roughly 33.4 hours of use.
How to lower the cost of running a gaming console (ps5, Xbox)
- Turn off the console rather than leaving it in rest mode with instant on enabled.
- Streaming video on a console uses more power than a dedicated streaming stick.
- Cap the frame rate in games that allow it. Lower GPU load means lower draw.
- Disable the feature that keeps the console powered for controller charging.
In standby it draws about 1.5 W, which adds roughly 13 kWh (C$2.18) per year if it is never unplugged.
Frequently asked questions
How much electricity does a PS5 use?
About 200 watts in demanding games, 70 watts for media, and under 2 watts in rest mode.
Is it expensive to leave a console on overnight?
If it sits on the home screen, it draws about 50 watts, so 8 hours costs the same as 2 hours of gaming.
Does the Xbox Series S use less power?
Yes, around 80 watts during games, less than half the Series X.
Compare with
Cost by region
US states
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Canadian provinces
Related appliances
- Smart Speaker3 W typical
- Streaming Stick or Box4 W typical
- Soundbar25 W typical
- Home Projector250 W typical
Use the generic electricity cost calculator · Which uses more? Take the quiz