How Much Does It Cost to Run a Gaming Console (PS5, Xbox) in the UK? (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 £0.047 per hour, or about £4.26 per month at 3 hours a day in the UK. Average running cost
| Wattage | Per hour | Per day | Per month | Per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low 70 W | £0.018 | £0.055 | £1.66 | £20.17 |
| Typical 180 W | £0.047 | £0.14 | £4.26 | £51.88 |
| High 220 W | £0.058 | £0.17 | £5.21 | £63.40 |
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 the UK, with electricity at 26.3p per kWh (source: Ofgem price cap 1 Oct–31 Dec 2026, 2026-10), a typical gaming console (ps5, xbox) costs £0.047 per hour and about £51.88 per year at 3 hours a day. Each £1.00 of electricity buys roughly 21.1 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 (£3.46) 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