Xbox Series consoles set to energy saver mode can now download updates, helping alleviate some of the environmental concerns around electrical devices left in standby mode.
Microsoft announced a number of new sustainability efforts, including software upgrades to its consoles that encourage users to switch to the more energy efficient setting.
Energy saver mode consumes roughly 20 times less power than instant-on mode but previously wasn’t able to download system and software updates automatically.
Showing its faith in the new update, Microsoft has made energy saver mode the default option when players initially set up their Xbox consoles.
Instant-on mode still has some benefits of course, allowing an Xbox to go from being turned off to signed in within a few seconds. Using the energy saver mode is much better for the environment, however, and will save users money on electricity bills.
Xbox’s other sustainability efforts include turning the company carbon negative, water positive, and zero waste by 2030. By that time it will aim to design all Xbox products and packaging to be 100% recyclable in certain countries. The Xbox Series S and Xbox controllers are also now built using recycled plastics.
In our 8/10 review, IGN said the “Xbox Series X is a quiet, compact, laser-targeted games machine that should make 4K/60fps gaming the wonderful new norm, but it still lacks as many must-play games as the competition.”
We gave the Xbox Series S, on the other hand, a 7/10, saying it “has its place and could shine as a second console, but it’s hard to recommend as your primary gaming platform due to its 1440p resolution and claustrophobic storage capacity.”
Ryan Dinsdale is an IGN freelancer who occasionally remembers to tweet @thelastdinsdale.