Your PS3 Uses More Energy Than Your Fridge

In the last few years, products and appliances, from the supermarket to the car dealership, have become more energy-efficient. Could video games go green? According to Choice Magazine, it wouldn’t be a bad idea. Gaming systems, specifically PS3s, suck up a lot of electrical juice. But how much juice could a puny box possibly use, right?

In fact, leaving an inactive PS3 on costs nearly $250 a year in electricity bills, which is more than a refrigerator costs to run. This shocking outcome was determined by various energy tests conducted to calculate both the power usage and cost wastage.

The tested suspects were an array of popular gaming systems in their three different “on” modes: “standby,” “on but idle,” and “on and in use.” Along with the PS3, systems such as Xbox and Wii are rather power hungry. Out of the bunch, PS3 has the biggest appetite, 360 is close behind, while Wii is on more of a diet. Even when “idle” (on, but not in use), the PS3 consumes more power than any of the other devices that were tested.

So what does this mean for PS3 junkies? Fortunately, being energy efficient does not mean limiting video games to once a week, playing in the dark, or chaining yourself to tree trunks in front of loggers. According to Choice Magazine, it simply means turning off your gaming devices when not in use, as opposed to leaving the system on and simply switching off the TV.