Your Xbox is becoming carbon aware with new update

By Tomas Franzese January 11, 2023

While many fans are waiting for Xbox to reveal the release dates of Redfall and Starfield, or to even hold another game showcase of its own, Microsoft’s first significant Xbox-related announcement of the year is about something else entirely. Xbox Insiders will have access to multiple new options to make their Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S more carbon-aware starting today.

To start, the “Shutdown (energy-saving)” power option will be updated to reduce its power consumption even further while still supporting overnight updates; in fact, your Xbox console will now optimize those updates by doing them “when the console can use the most renewable energy in your local energy grid.” According to Microsoft, for every two consoles that are in this mode for 20 hours a day for a whole year, the carbon equivalent of a tree that has been growing for over a decade will be saved.

Official Xbox art promoting energy saving, carbon awareness, and collective action. — Image used with permission by copyright holder

That isn’t the only energy-conscious addition in this update, though. A new “Active Hours” setting is coming, which will allow those who choose the “Sleep” power option to boot quickly and support remote waking during set active hours, rather than it always being available. Surprisingly, even Xbox One owners will see a carbon-aware update with the addition of the “Shutdown (energy saving)” power option today, although Microsoft is still in the user feedback stage for that platform.

These carbon-aware updates are available to Xbox Insiders with an Xbox One, Xbox Series X, or Xbox Series S starting today, although Microsoft says these additions will come to all current-gen console owners “soon.”

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Tomas Franzese is a Staff Writer at Digital Trends, where he reports on and reviews the latest releases and exciting…

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