How much does it cost to run a PS5 or Xbox Series X? Console power math

How this is calculated

The 250 W figure is the rated PSU ceiling - actual draw during typical AAA gameplay sits at 180-210 W on the PS5 and Xbox Series X. The real hidden cost is standby. Both consoles default to "instant on" mode drawing 10-15 W 24/7, which adds about $18/year entirely to standby power. Switching to full-shutdown standby (4-5 W) cuts that to about $6/year.

Verdict

The arithmetic: 250 W at 80% utilization for 3 hours daily at $0.18/kWh consumes 219 kWh annually and costs $39.42 ($3.29 monthly), about half what a 500 W gaming PC costs on the same schedule. The 250 W is the PSU ceiling on the PS5 and Xbox Series X - actual AAA gameplay draw sits at 180-210 W. The hidden cost is standby: both consoles default to "instant on" standby that draws 10-15 W 24/7, which adds about $18 a year entirely to staying-ready power. Switching to full-shutdown standby (4-5 W) cuts that to about $6 a year, a $12 saving with no functional downside for a console that's actually used 3 hours a day. The console-vs-PC math is structural: a fixed-architecture console's total system power is bounded at 200-220 W while a comparable-performance desktop GPU alone pulls that much, which is why consoles are the cheapest way to play per kWh.