Power hungry PS3 bottom in 'green league'
via digit online
If you are waiting for your pre-ordered PlayStation 3 to arrive, it may be a good idea to consider topping-up the pre-payments on your UK electricity account says energy consumption compression Web site sust-it.net.
According to sust-it, Sony's PS3 comes bottom in a list of current games consoles' energy efficiency and costs to run in terms of electricity usage – in turn making it the least environmentally-friendly of onsoles. Compared to Nintendo's popular Wii console which costs £2.13 to run per year based on two hours usage per day, 365 days a year, Sony's PS3 racks up a whopping £47.69 based on the same usage. Costs are based on the manufacturers published energy consumption figures multiplyied by an average electricity unit tariff.
The US version of the PS3 comes with a whopping 380 Watt power supply - which is over twice as much as its main competitor the Xbox 360 with its 165W unit, and over seven times more power hungry than the PlayStation 2.
If you combine a PS3 with a super big Plasma TV, such as LG 71-inch HD Ready Plasma TV, to take full advantage of the amazing graphics you could be burning 1.4kWh (kilowatts) of power per hour. If you’re a serious gamer that could cost you £1.19 for a five hour session claims sust-it.net.
sust-it says that consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the need to reduce energy consumption, and therefore reduce their own CO2 emissions. The sust-it Web site allows consumers to compare the running cost of hundreds of consumer electrical goods but sust-it says the PS3 again highlights the need for clear labelling of the potential power consumption of electronic devices, rather than relying on small print in the technical specification sheets.
“We expect new car launches to announce more performance with less fuel consumption; it’s a pity that this does not apply to electronic goods. Is it not time for an energy efficiency rating system for consumer electrical goods?” says Ross Lammas of sust-it.net.
