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PS4 Power Consumption: How Much Energy It Uses

PS4 electricity use varies by revision, game, and power state. Compare Sony’s measurements and calculate a cost from your own hours and electricity rate.
From TheFinanceBase Team3 min to read
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A PS4’s electricity use depends on its model, what it is doing, and which Rest Mode features are enabled. Sony’s figures for the PS4 Pro (CUH-72XX), for example, range from about 49 W during DVD playback to 158.2 W for an average of three UHD gaming tests. Standby figures are lower, but vary by console revision and settings. To estimate your bill, multiply measured watts by hours and divide by 1,000 to get kilowatt-hours (kWh), then multiply by your electricity rate.

How much power does a PS4 use while gaming?

There is no single gameplay wattage for every PS4. Sony’s published active-use measurements cover the PS4 Pro CUH-72XX and show that the game and test condition matter:

CUH-72XX activity Sony’s measured power
HD active gaming, three-game average 146.4 W
HD active gaming, Battlefield 4 87.7 W
HD active gaming, Marvel’s Spider-Man 148.3 W
UHD active gaming, three-game average 158.2 W
UHD active gaming, Marvel’s Spider-Man 152.8 W
Home menu, HD 53.9 W
Home menu, UHD 56.9 W

These are Sony’s reported measurements for CUH-72XX, not a universal figure for all PS4 models or games. Sony notes that measured values can differ between products. The available official active-use data does not establish a comparable game-by-game series for every PS4 revision. Sony’s energy-efficiency figures identify the model and test activity for these readings.

How much electricity does PS4 Rest Mode use?

Sony distinguishes the default standby state—described as the default “off” mode—from networked standby configurations. These model-specific figures show why “Rest Mode” does not have one fixed wattage:

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PS4 revision Default standby Listed networked standby
CUH-12XX 0.3 W 1.8 W, wired network standby
CUH-20XX/21XX 0.5 W 3.0 W, listed networked standby cases
CUH-22XX/72XX 0.5 W 2.0 W, networked standby configurations

Rest Mode can keep optional functions available, including charging connected peripherals, downloading content, internet connectivity, and remote wake. The default-off figure excludes those additional features. Check your console’s enabled functions before using a table value to estimate its standby electricity. Sony’s table provides the mode-by-mode figures and notes that product measurements may vary: PlayStation energy-efficiency information.

What about menus, streaming, and disc playback?

For the PS4 Pro CUH-72XX, Sony reports these additional measured readings:

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Activity Measured power
DVD playback 49.3 W
Blu-ray playback 54.1 W
Streaming media 54.7 W
Home menu, HD 53.9 W
Home menu, UHD 56.9 W

These figures are useful for comparing activities on that revision, but should not be assumed to describe every PS4. Sony presents them as measurements and cautions that readings can vary between products.

Why the original PS4’s 250 W rating is not typical use

Sony’s 2013 launch specifications list a maximum power consumption of 250 W for the original CUH-1000A. That is a maximum rating, not a measured average while playing a game. Sony Interactive Entertainment’s 2013 specifications identify the rating as “Max. 250W.”

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  • Upgraded LCD Display: With large screen size 2.36 inch x 1.85 inch, clearer monitor backlit, our electrical usage monitor can display the data clearer and more visible no matter day or night. 180°full wide viewing angles is great for reading and recording the data in any angles. No need to stand on the front of the display and bend over to read the numbers
  • Adjustable Backlight Time: Our upgraded watt meter has 5 options of backlight time. The default backlight time duration is 10 minutes(bL-0). If you want to change the backlight time, you can press and hold "UP" and "DOWN" button at the same time to enter backlight time setting, then press "UP" and "DOWN" to select the backlight time (bL-0 =10 minutes, bL-1=1 hour, bL-2=4 hours, bL-3=8 hours, bL-4=always on), finally press the "COST" to save the backlight time settings
  • Overload Protection: When the power of the appliance exceeds the overload power, the LCD will display “OVERLOAD” to warn the user. All the buttons will quit working and can only be workable when you lower or remove the load power. The default overload power is 3680W and is adjustable from 0 to 3680W. In general, you need to set the overload power to 1800W before using. Just press the "function" button for more than 3 seconds to enter the setting
  • Data Memory Function: The wattage meter will record your power consumption data when you remove it from socket, or remove appliances from the electricity monitor. You can directly see the last data when you use it next time. This function can also automatically save the data when there is a sudden power failure

Historical measurements compiled for original CUH-10xxA hardware show menu readings from 77.4 W to 91 W in separate tests. Gameplay readings in that compilation include results from 110 W to 151 W. The readings came from different outlets, games, and test conditions, so they are historical examples—not a standardized range for all original PS4 consoles. The PS4 Developer wiki compilation lists the individual measurements and their attributed outlets.

How PS4 revisions changed power use

Hardware revisions matter. Sony Group says the CUH-2000 series reduced power consumption by 34% compared with the initial CUH-1000 series, and by 28% compared with the CUH-1200 series. Sony attributes the reduction to lower-power, miniaturized CPU/GPU circuitry and notes that revisions continued over the years. Those percentages describe the CUH-2000 against the specific comparison models Sony names; they should not be applied as a general reduction for every later revision. Sony Group’s PlayStation hardware account provides the comparison.

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How to estimate your PS4 electricity cost

Use the console’s measured draw, the hours it spends in each state, and your electricity price. The calculation is:

  1. Convert watts to kilowatt-hours: kWh = watts × hours ÷ 1,000.
  2. Calculate the cost: estimated cost = kWh × your electricity price per kWh.

For example, if your console averaged 100 W for 3 hours, it would use 0.3 kWh during that session (100 × 3 ÷ 1,000). Multiply 0.3 by your local per-kWh rate for the session’s estimated electricity cost. This example is arithmetic, not a claim that a PS4 always draws 100 W.

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For a more useful household estimate, calculate gaming, media playback, and standby separately, using the hours spent in each state. A plug-in electricity usage monitor can measure an individual console’s draw; this can be more relevant than relying on a model-level example because Sony warns that product measurements may vary. Your final cost also depends on your local tariff and the Rest Mode functions you leave enabled.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.

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