These efforts by major gaming companies show their commitment to reducing the environmental impact of gaming. It's not just about making games more sustainable but also about setting an example for the industry as a whole. By optimizing their console operations, they are taking a significant step towards a greener future.
However, these moves have not been without controversy. In January, conservative commentators and politicians accused Xbox of making video games "woke" after it released an optional power-saving mode. But as the importance of environmental sustainability becomes more widely recognized, such accusations are likely to diminish.
Computers and consoles have been constantly upgrading their computing power to offer the latest graphics, leading to a significant increase in power consumption. Even as consoles have become more efficient, the power needed to play the latest games continues to rise. This upgrade cycle is deeply ingrained in the games industry's marketing and business model, putting it on an unsustainable path of continuous upgrades.
Most gamers play on mobile devices, where developers work hard to make games run using less power. The Nintendo Switch, which can also be used as a handheld mobile device, uses less than a 10th as much power as plug-in PlayStation or Xbox. This shows that there are ways to make gaming more energy-efficient without sacrificing gameplay.
For example, in "Halo Infinite," when a player pauses the game, the game used to continue generating detailed scenery in the background, even though players couldn't see it. But this year, "Halo Infinite" started lowering the graphics resolution when a player hits pause, resulting in a 15 percent reduction in energy use. Such small changes can have a significant impact on overall energy consumption.
Other studios have also followed suit. Fortnite pared back graphics quality while players are in online "lobbies," saving 200 megawatt-hours of electricity per day - the average output of seven US wind turbines. The Elder Scrolls Online throttled graphics when players open menu screens or go idle for five minutes, resulting in a 5 percent drop in overall energy use, which is estimated to save the emissions equivalent of burning 1 million pounds of coal over the next three years for Xbox users.
Canadian design professor Kara Stone released an online game last month that runs on a web server powered by a solar panel installed on her apartment balcony. This shows that there are creative approaches to making games that are both beautiful and fun while being low-carbon. The game, "Known Mysteries," features low-fi graphics, heavily compressed video, and simple gameplay to fit into bite-sized data files. It's a testament to the fact that gaming can be compatible with fighting climate change.
Although professional game studios can't all run their servers on DIY solar panels, this experiment gives us a glimpse of what a climate-friendly future of gaming might look like - one where games use energy more thoughtfully and all the equipment runs on renewable electricity.