While many people struggle to get their hands on a PS5, the PlayStation 4 remains a very popular console. And it’s likely to still remain popular for a number of years still – consoles often enjoy a long lifespan even when they have a newer, more powerful version available.
It’s not just about saving money on the actual console itself – you might be wondering whether the PS4 is cheaper to use as well. Is there a notable difference in the cost of powering a PS4 compared to the latest PS5 consoles? And how much power does it use compared to other devices around your home as well?
Let’s take a look at the PS4 power consumption, including tips on how to keep your power use to a minimum if you want to save a few cents (or potentially even dollars) on your utility bills.
How Many Watts Does A PS4 Use?
The watts of electricity that a PS4 draws depend on the model, and what you’re using it for. A classic PlayStation 4 is rated for a maximum of 250 watts. The slimmer version is rated as a max of 165 watts, while the upgraded PlayStation 4 Pro is rated for a max of 310 watts.
Before we dive into the numbers in more detail, let’s clarify the different console models. If you’re not much of an expert then you might not know which one you have!
The original PS4 was released in November 2013. It was a standard PlayStation 4 console, and it has a distinctive look with sharp straight edges and corners, and a partial matte/partial gloss design to the plastic.
Similar to previous PlayStation generations, Sony then released a slimmed-down version of the console in 2016, replacing the original. It has a smaller body (around 40% smaller), rounded corners and a matte finish. Performance-wise it’s no different, although in 2017 the hard drive was upgraded to 1TB so you could store more games.
At the same time as the slim version launched, the PS4 Pro also launched. This looked similar to the slim version, but it is thicker, with a three-tier design instead of a two-tier design. The PS4 Pro is more powerful, capable of handling 4K gaming.
With that context, let’s look in more detail at the PS4 energy consumption.
The maximum rated wattages given for each model is just what Sony advertises they will use at their absolute top level, but in reality, you’ll never get near these figures when you’re using the console.
Realistically, the wattage you can expect to use when gaming is closer to 145 watts for the original PlayStation 4, 110 watts for the PS4 Slim, and 160 watts for the PS4 Pro.
The PS4 Pro is understandably higher – after all, it’s a more powerful console, with components that need more power. The PS4 slim is, in theory, as powerful as the original PlayStation 4, so how does it achieve such a lower wattage?
It’s purely down to efficiencies and developments within the three years between the two console launches. Sony can use updated parts to get the same level of gaming performance, without needing to draw much power at all.
How Much Power Does A PS4 Use In Rest Mode?
The PS4 Rest Mode power consumption is around 3 watts when connected to the internet. When in Rest Mode and not connected to the internet, the PlayStation 4 will draw 0.5 watts. You can change the settings for Rest Mode from the PS4 menu.
If you want to adjust how your PS4 uses Rest Mode, which is another name for Standby Mode, just head to the Settings menu from the home screen – it’s the little toolbox icon. From here, you’ll want to head to ‘Power Save Settings’.
Once you’re in this menu, you have a few different things you can do. Firstly, you can define how long it takes before the PS4 automatically switches into Rest Mode. There are two versions of this setting – one for when you’re playing media (so using a streaming app to watch a movie, or listening to music) and one for when you’re gaming.
With either of these, if the controller isn’t touched, the PS4 will automatically enter Rest Mode to save power after the times you set. For media streaming, you can set it from 1 to 5 hours, or disable it, while with gaming you can also set it to 20 minutes.
Don’t worry – this only works if you don’t touch the controller. You won’t be booted out of your game mid-match if you’re actively playing.
The second thing you can tweak in this menu is which features are available while the PS4 is in Rest Mode. If you enable USB charging then you can keep your controllers charged up, but the PS4 will draw more power.
The same is true if you enable the console to stay connected to the internet. The PS4 standby power consumption will go up a little if you let it remain online, as it’ll constantly check for updates.
And if you do keep it connected to the internet then you can also enable the feature to turn on the PS4 using the Network – i.e. from the PlayStation app on your phone.
If you want to use the least power while in Rest Mode, make sure all of these are disabled. However, that does mean you’ll need to download any updates while the PS4 is fully switched on.
Considering you often can’t do much else while downloading updates, it makes sense to switch this setting on and turn the PS4 onto Rest Mode when updates are needed, but then disable it again once done.
Here’s a guide to how much power the PS4 uses in different states:
| State | PS4 Power Consumption | PS4 Slim Power Consumption | PS4 Pro Power Consumption |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standby Mode/Rest Mode | 0.5 watts | 0.5 watts | 0.5 watts |
| Standy Mode/Rest Mode – Connected to the internet | 3 watts | 3 watts | 3 watts |
| Idle on the dashboard | 85 watts | 50 watts | 75 watts |
| Streaming media | 90 watts | 55 watts | 87 watts |
| Gaming – older game | 100 watts | 77 watts | 145 watts |
| Gaming – demanding game | 145 watts | 110 watts | 160 watts |
| Max rated | 250 watts | 165 watts | 310 watts |
One thing that’s interesting is how the PS4 Pro is actually more energy-efficient than the original model when it comes to being idle on the dashboard, or streaming media. It’s only when you’re gaming that the PS4 Pro uses much more electricity.
It’s even the same with the PlayStation 5 as well. While the PS4 power usage for Netflix is around 90 watts, the PS5 only uses 70 watts. This just highlights how inefficient the original PS4 was for some uses.
Read more: PS5 Power Consumption Guide
How Many Watts Does A TV and PS4 Use?
The average TV uses 57 watts of power, so combined with the PS4 when gaming they would draw around 205 watts total. Most TVs draw between 27 watts and 134 watts, while the PS4 uses between 85 and 145 watts when switched on, depending on what you’re using it for.
The power draw of a TV depends on the size of the screen and whether it’s a standard LED or if it’s a QLED or OLED.
So, if you were gaming on a 75” OLED TV you’d probably be using around 270 watts, but if you were just watching Netflix through the PS4 on a 50” LED TV then you would be using a lot less combined power – in the region of 135 watts.
However, since most smart TVs would come with Netflix built-in, you would be wasting electricity by using the PS4 to run it.
Read more: How Much Electricity Does A TV Use?
How Much Electricity Does A PS4 Use?
The PS4 power draw varies between 85 and 145 watts when in use, although it is rated for a higher wattage which it may use with more advanced games or when working with PlayStation VR.
Here’s how the PS4 compares to other consoles of this generation:
| Console | Watts used |
|---|---|
| PS4 Original | 85-145 |
| PS4 Slim | 50-110 |
| PS4 Pro | 75-160 |
| Xbox One Original | 70-120 |
| Xbox One S (equivalent to PS4 Slim) | 35-90 |
| Xbox One X (equivalent to PS4 Pro) | 65-180 |
| Nintendo Wii U | 31-33 |
| Nintendo Switch | 10-18 |
The real comparison here is between the PS4 and Xbox One consoles – these are the rivals that are very close in terms of gaming performance. They’re also very similar in terms of consumption too. The Xbox One original and One S use slightly less than the PS4 wattage, but the Xbox One X can draw more power than a PS4 Pro.
Read more: How Many Watts Does An Xbox One Use?
It’s also interesting to look at how PlayStation consoles have evolved over the years:
| Console | Year released | Watts used |
|---|---|---|
| PlayStation 5 | 2020 | 50-200 |
| PlayStation Classic* | 2018 | 3.5 |
| PlayStation 4 Pro | 2016 | 75-160 |
| PlayStation 4 Slim | 2016 | 55-110 |
| PlayStation 4 (original) | 2013 | 90-150 |
| PlayStation 3 Super Slim | 2012 | 70 |
| PlayStation 3 Slim | 2009 | 85 |
| PlayStation 3 (original) | 2006 | 190 |
| PlayStation 2 Slimline | 2004 | 24 |
| PlayStation 2 (original) | 2000 | 46 |
| PS One | 2000 | 6.5 |
| PlayStation (original) | 1995 | 10 |
*The PlayStation Classic was the re-released original PlayStation, but a much smaller version with 20 games built-in.
How Much Electricity Does A PS4 Use Per Hour?
A PlayStation 4 when gaming will use 145 watt-hours per hour. It will use only 85 watt-hours per hour if you leave it on the home screen, with a slight jump to 90 watt-hours per hour if you use it to watch a streaming app.
It’s a good idea to get used to managing your PS4 properly and switching it off when not in use, especially with most games having frequent auto-saves now.
If you’re stepping away to cook dinner, get used to switching it off, as over the course of a year you could save a few dollars just by getting into this good habit.
How Much Does A PS4 Cost In Electricity?
A PS4 will use just over 2 cents per hour when gaming, based on an electricity cost of $0.14 per kWh. When streaming using an app like Netflix or Prime Video, that cost drops to less than 1 cent per hour.
The average gamer spends around 8.5 hours a week gaming. So, if you used your PS4 exclusively for gaming, and you left it in Rest Mode (0.5 watt-hours per hour) when you weren’t using it, here’s how much it would cost you for the year:
| Console | Weekly Hours Gaming | Cost To Game | Weekly Hours Rest Mode | Cost For Rest Mode | Total Weekly Cost | Yearly Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PS4 | 8.5 | $0.17 | 159.5 | $0.01 | $0.18 | $9.36 |
Are you someone that games a lot more than the average? Then you can work out your own costs. All you need is the cost per kilowatt-hour you pay for electricity, and the number of kilowatt-hours used.
Because we know the PS4 uses 145 watt-hours, you just need to divide that by 1,000 to get the kilowatt-hours, so a PS4 uses 0.145 kilowatt-hours per hour for gaming.
Multiply your electricity cost by the kilowatt-hours used and you’ve got the cost per hour. This calculator makes it easy:
Is The PS4 Energy-Efficient?
Compared to similar games consoles, the PS4 consumes roughly the same amount of electricity. The PS4 Pro is slightly more efficient than the Xbox One X when it comes to gaming though.
Arguably, the original PS4 is not a very energy-efficient console though. When you compare it with the PS4 Slim and even the PS4 Pro, it uses a lot more energy – except for when gaming on a PS4 Pro, but that’s because of the more powerful hardware.
Overall, with a cost of less than $10 per year in electricity for the average gamer, it’s not a huge drain on your electricity bill.
The Bottom Line
Whichever model of PS4 you own, or are planning to buy, it’s not going to cost you an awful lot to run it for a year. The PlayStation 4 power consumption is not too painful.
And even leaving it in standby isn’t that much of an issue. 160 hours of standby mode a week will cost you around half a buck for the entire year. Although be careful that this is only when not connected to the internet – it’ll jump up to around $3 a year if it’s constantly online in standby mode.
Either way, you can game pretty much guilt-free with the low consumption, even when used for gaming. Provided you don’t spend way more than the average gamer does…then you might want to calculate your costs.