THE PRODUCT:

Video game consoles include set-top-box-style video game units, but exclude handheld video game devices.

The Standard:

Although DOE currently has no plans to set standards for video game consoles, significant per-unit savings (around 80 kWh annually) could be achieved by implementing several simple measures outlined in a study conducted by NRDC. One of these measures - ensuring that the game system enters a low-power mode when not in use - would achieve the substantial majority of potential savings. There is no known incremental cost associated with this measure, so savings would be seen by consumers immediately. DOE issued a request for information early in 2012 for this product. Game consoles are on the California Energy Commission list of products being considered for state standards.

Key Facts:

Game console shipments in 2016 were approximately 27 million per year (Statista). The most recent DOE Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS 2015) estimated that 37% of U.S. households contained at least one video game console. In 2014, Natural Resources Defense Council reported that some models game consoles consumed two to three times more electricity annually than prior models, and in some cases consumed significant amounts of energy even when not in use.