How Much Power Does a PS5 Use? (Cost Breakdown)
The Sony PlayStation 5 is a graphical powerhouse, offering 4K gaming, ray tracing, and rapid load times. But with great power comes actual power consumption. In this guide, we break down exactly how much energy your PS5 is pulling from the wall depending on what you're doing with it, how it compares to other consoles, and what it will cost you over the full lifetime of the console.
Calculate Your PS5 Running Cost
Pre-filled with average PS5 gaming wattage (210W)
Estimated Cost
PS5 Power Consumption in Different Modes
The PS5's power draw varies significantly depending on the current task. While a demanding next-gen game pushes the console's custom AMD GPU to its limits, simply sitting on the dashboard or watching a streaming app uses a fraction of that energy. Understanding each mode helps you estimate your real-world costs more accurately.
| Console Mode | Average Power Draw (Watts) | Description |
|---|---|---|
| PS5 Native Gaming | 200W – 220W | Playing demanding PS5 titles (e.g., Spider-Man 2, God of War Ragnarök). Ray tracing enabled pushes toward the upper end. |
| PS4 Backwards Compatibility | 100W – 150W | Playing older PS4 games that don't utilize the full GPU or next-gen rendering features. |
| Media Streaming | 70W – 80W | Watching Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, or Blu-Ray movies. GPU load is minimal. |
| Dashboard / Idle | 40W – 50W | Sitting on the home menu with no game running. |
| Rest Mode (Downloading) | 30W – 35W | Console asleep but actively downloading a game update in the background. |
| Rest Mode (Idle) | 1.5W – 2W | Console completely asleep with no active downloads. Very low phantom load. |
| Fully Powered Off | <0.1W | Shut down completely from the system menu. Negligible standby draw. |
One thing worth noting: the "Dashboard / Idle" draw of 40–50W is surprisingly high. If you regularly leave the PS5 on the home menu while doing something else, that habit alone can add a noticeable amount to your annual electricity bill. Setting an auto-shutoff timer in System Settings is an easy fix.
Cost to Run a PS5 Over Time
To put this into perspective, here is the actual monetary cost assuming heavy gaming at 210W and an average US electricity rate of $0.15 per kWh.
| Timeframe | Cost at 2 Hours/Day | Cost at 4 Hours/Day | Cost at 8 Hours/Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 Day | $0.06 | $0.13 | $0.25 |
| 1 Month (30 Days) | $1.89 | $3.78 | $7.56 |
| 1 Year | $23.00 | $45.99 | $91.98 |
Even a heavily used PS5 is not a major electricity drain by household standards. However, those costs do accumulate meaningfully over the lifespan of a console generation.
PS5 Running Cost by Country
Electricity prices vary enormously around the world. US rates are among the lowest globally, while European countries — particularly in Western and Northern Europe — pay two to three times more per kWh. The table below shows the annual cost of running a PS5 at 3 hours/day of gaming (210W) at each country's average residential electricity rate.
| Country | Avg. Rate (per kWh) | Annual Cost (3 hrs/day) |
|---|---|---|
| United States | $0.16 | ~$37 |
| Canada | $0.13 | ~$30 |
| Australia | A$0.32 | ~A$74 |
| United Kingdom | £0.24 | ~£56 |
| Germany | €0.31 | ~€72 |
| Netherlands | €0.29 | ~€67 |
| France | €0.25 | ~€58 |
For European players, running a PS5 costs roughly double what an American player pays for the same gaming habits. Use the calculator above to enter your exact local electricity rate for a precise figure.
PS5 vs PS4 vs Xbox Series X: Power Consumption Compared
How does the PS5 stack up against its predecessor and its closest rival? This is one of the most-searched questions among console buyers, and the answer reveals some interesting trade-offs between raw performance and energy efficiency.
| Console | Gaming (Peak) | Media Streaming | Idle / Standby | Est. Annual Cost* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PS5 (Standard) | 200W – 220W | 70W – 80W | 1.5W – 2W | ~$37 |
| PS5 Slim | 185W – 200W | 65W – 75W | 1.5W – 2W | ~$33 |
| PS5 Pro | 220W – 240W | 75W – 85W | 1.5W – 2W | ~$42 |
| PS4 Pro | 140W – 165W | 90W – 100W | 8W – 10W | ~$30 |
| Xbox Series X | 180W – 200W | 75W – 85W | 0.5W – 1W | ~$35 |
| Nintendo Switch (Docked) | 10W – 18W | 6W – 10W | 1W – 2W | ~$3 |
*Annual cost estimates based on 3 hours/day gaming at $0.16/kWh (US average).
A few key takeaways from this comparison. First, the PS5 and Xbox Series X are very close in power consumption — within 10–20W of each other under gaming load, making the choice between them essentially a wash from an electricity perspective. Second, the PS4 Pro actually draws less power during gaming than the PS5, but it has a significantly higher idle draw (8–10W vs 1.5–2W), which means leaving a PS4 Pro on standby costs noticeably more over time. Third, the Nintendo Switch is in a completely different league — it uses roughly 10–15 times less electricity than a PS5, reflecting its mobile-chip architecture.
PS5 Model Comparison: Launch vs Slim vs Pro
Sony has released multiple hardware revisions of the PS5 since its 2020 launch. Each revision has brought minor improvements to power efficiency, primarily through manufacturing process refinements on the AMD APU inside the console.
| Model | Release Year | Peak Gaming Draw | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| PS5 Launch (CFI-1000) | 2020 | 200W – 220W | Original model. Largest chassis, disc drive included. |
| PS5 Revision (CFI-1100/1200) | 2021–2022 | 195W – 215W | Minor die shrink, slightly quieter fan. Marginal power reduction. |
| PS5 Slim (CFI-2000) | 2023 | 185W – 200W | 6nm process node. ~10–20W less than launch units. Smaller chassis. |
| PS5 Pro (CFI-7000) | 2024 | 220W – 240W | Enhanced GPU for higher frame rates and ray tracing. Highest power draw of any PS5 model. |
If you are buying a PS5 primarily for energy efficiency, the Slim is the best choice — it delivers the same gaming experience as the launch model while using measurably less power. The PS5 Pro draws more electricity than any previous PS5 variant, which is the trade-off for its improved GPU performance.
PS5 Lifetime Electricity Cost
Most people keep a gaming console for the entire length of its generation — typically 6 to 7 years before upgrading to the next platform. Over that timeframe, the cumulative electricity cost becomes more significant. Here is what a PS5 will actually cost to run over its lifetime at different usage levels.
| Country | Rate (kWh) | 1 hr/day (6 yrs) | 3 hrs/day (6 yrs) | 6 hrs/day (6 yrs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| USA | $0.16 | ~$74 | ~$222 | ~$444 |
| UK | £0.24 | ~£111 | ~£334 | ~£668 |
| Germany | €0.31 | ~€143 | ~€430 | ~€860 |
| Netherlands | €0.29 | ~€134 | ~€401 | ~€803 |
| Australia | A$0.32 | ~A$148 | ~A$444 | ~A$888 |
For a heavy gamer in Germany or the Netherlands playing 6 hours per day, the PS5 can cost upwards of €800–860 in electricity over the life of the console — approaching the original purchase price of the hardware itself. Even at moderate use (3 hours/day), European players are looking at €400+ over 6 years. These figures make it worth paying attention to the efficiency tips in the next section.
How to Reduce Your PS5 Electricity Bill
You cannot change the fundamental power draw of the PS5's hardware, but a few settings and habits can meaningfully reduce how much electricity it consumes over time.
Set an auto-shutoff timer. Go to Settings > System > Power Saving > Set Time Until PS5 Enters Rest Mode. Setting this to 1–2 hours prevents the console sitting at 40–50W on the dashboard indefinitely if you walk away from it.
Disable features you don't use in Rest Mode. Under Settings > System > Power Saving > Features Available in Rest Mode, you can turn off "Stay Connected to the Internet" and "Enable Turning On PS5 from Network" if you don't need remote wake-up. Disabling these reduces the rest mode draw slightly and reduces background network activity.
Turn off HDMI Device Link. Settings > System > HDMI > Enable HDMI Device Link. If your TV automatically turns on with the PS5, disabling this prevents the TV from drawing power unnecessarily if you only want audio through a separate system.
Consider Performance Mode vs Quality Mode. Many PS5 games offer a choice between a 60fps Performance Mode and a 30fps Quality/Ray Tracing mode. Performance Mode is typically less demanding on the GPU, which can reduce power draw by 10–20W in some titles — while also providing a better gameplay experience.
Power off completely when not in use for long periods. If you are going on holiday or won't use the console for a week or more, a full power-off rather than rest mode saves the phantom standby draw entirely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Rest mode is convenient for downloading updates automatically and charging controllers. Because it only uses around 1.5W to 2W when idle, it costs less than $3 a year to leave it in Rest Mode continuously. For most users, the convenience far outweighs the energy cost. The exception is if you have Rest Mode set to actively download while you sleep — that 30–35W draw adds up more noticeably over time.
Yes, measurably. The PS5 Slim uses a refined 6nm manufacturing process for its AMD APU, which reduces gaming power draw by approximately 10–20W compared to the original launch unit. Over a full year of daily gaming, this translates to roughly 10–15% lower electricity costs — a small but real saving, especially in countries with high electricity prices.
It depends on what you mean by "turned off." If the PS5 is in Rest Mode with network features enabled, it draws 30–35W while actively downloading and 1.5–2W while idle. If you shut it down completely from the power menu (not just press the button), it draws under 0.1W — essentially nothing. A true full shutdown is the only way to eliminate standby consumption entirely.
Generally no. A high-end gaming PC with a discrete GPU can draw anywhere from 300W to 500W or more under full gaming load, compared to the PS5's 200–220W. At equal playtime, a powerful gaming PC can cost 50–150% more in electricity than a PS5. That said, if your gaming PC is modest (an integrated GPU laptop, for example), it will be far more efficient than either console.
Very little. The DualSense has a 1,560mAh battery at 3.65V, giving it a capacity of roughly 5.7Wh. Charging from flat to full uses under 0.006 kWh of electricity — less than $0.001 per charge at average US rates. Charging the controller every single day for a year costs under $0.30 total. It is truly negligible compared to the console itself.
Yes. Enabling ray tracing pushes the PS5's GPU harder and increases power draw by roughly 10–20W compared to the same game running in Performance Mode without ray tracing. Games with demanding ray tracing implementations tend to sit at the higher end of the 200–220W range. If you want to minimise electricity use, Performance Mode is the better choice — and most players find 60fps more enjoyable anyway.
Go to Settings (gear icon on the home screen) > System > Power Saving. From here you can adjust the auto-shutoff timer, configure what features are available during Rest Mode, and control how long the controllers stay connected while the console is in rest. These are the most impactful settings for reducing unnecessary power consumption.
Related Articles
- How Much Power Does an Xbox Series X Use? — See how the Xbox's Instant-On standby compares to PS5 rest mode.
- How Much Power Does a Nintendo Switch Use? — The cheapest console to run at just ~$3/year.
- How Much Power Does a Gaming PC Use? — Gaming PCs draw 2-3x more power than consoles.
- How Much Power Does a TV Use? — Don't forget the screen you're gaming on.