Cost per hour of gaming at 26.32p per kWh (UK average), the live standard variable rate since 1 October 2026.
The short answer
Measurements published by the NRDC put the original PS4 at 137 watts while gaming and the original Xbox One at 112 watts.
| Console | Watts while gaming | Per hour | Per month (3 hrs/day) |
|---|---|---|---|
| PS4 | 137 W | 3.6p | £3.29 |
| Xbox One | 112 W | 2.9p | £2.69 |
| PS5 (for comparison) | 200–218 W | 5.5p | £5.04 |
| Xbox Series X (for comparison) | 154 W | 4.1p | £3.70 |
Later slimmer models, like the PS4 Slim and Xbox One S, generally use less power than the originals.
Older consoles use less while playing, more on standby
A PS4 costs less per hour than a PS5, because it's less powerful. But its rest mode is hungrier: Sony's own figures show 5 to 8 watts with all rest mode features on, compared with about 4 watts on a PS5. If your PS4 lives in rest mode all year, it's worth turning off the features you don't need in Settings → Power Save Settings.
Is upgrading worth it to save electricity?
No. A newer console uses more power while gaming, not less. Upgrade for the games, not the bills.
Sources: NRDC figures via Tom's Guide, PlayStation eco-design figures, Digital Foundry via Notebookcheck, Microsoft lab platform baselines, Octopus Energy tariff data.