Xbox 360 console set to raise gamers’ power bills

Microsoft’s new Xbox 360 console has been found to consume more than twice the amount of power of its predecessor, the original Xbox. In tests conducted by CNET, it was discovered that the Xbox 360 draws approximately 160 watts of power: more than double the 74 watts required by the original Xbox, and over three times the 50 watts consumed by Sony’s Playstation 2.

It seems that the console’s large, heavy power supply is indicative of its large, heavy power requirements: according to figures given, the Xbox 360 consumes more power than most other audio-visual devices, with the exception of big-screen high-definition TVs.

Gamers using the Xbox 360 for an average of 4 hours per day can expect to end up with an annual electricity bill of between US $10 and US $35 for the console alone, excluding the amount required to run devices connected to the console such as TVs, speakers, amplifiers and other home theater components.

Those who enjoy gaming using a high-end gaming PC will be used to shelling out such amounts or more on electricity, given that high-powered gaming PCs consume more power than the Xbox 360.

Since the Xbox 360 is the first of the next-generation consoles to be released, it remains to be seen how Sony’s Playstation 3 and Nintendo’s Revolution console will compare in terms of power efficiency.

Source: CNET

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