Update: Following an inquiry from ComicBook.com, and according to Xbox, the Energy Saver sleep mode update that allowed for this was rolled out in 2021. It’s still not something that appears to have been widely known, and the phrasing of the Xbox Wire post was ambiguous, but it is, in fact, not new. We regret the error.
Videos by ComicBook.com
The original article, as first published, appears below:
The Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles officially have a new way in which to download both system and video game updates, Xbox has announced. This particular tidbit was embedded in a much lengthier post tied to an update on sustainability efforts from Xbox like the fact that Xbox intends to have 100% recyclable packaging for all Xbox products and accessories in Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries by 2030. The new way is rather simple: while using Energy Saver sleep mode, which takes roughly 20 times less power than Standby when not doing anything according to the company, updates can now be downloaded while they could not before.
“Last year, we made improvements to the console’s Energy Saver sleep mode,” the official Xbox Wire post from Dave McCarthy, Corporate Vice President of Xbox Operations, reads in part. “Energy Saver mode consumes about 20 times less power than Standby mode when the console is not being used or receiving updates.Now, system and game updates can be downloaded during Energy Saver mode, further saving energy.”
The phrasing of that makes it seem like, while the massive power savings are typical of a normal instance of using the Energy Saver mode on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles, using it now to download updates of any kind doesn’t quite meet that mark. It’s unclear just how much energy is being saved in Energy Saver sleep mode while actually downloading updates. All of this is part of a broader 2021 Environmental Sustainability report from Microsoft.
As noted above, the ability to download system updates and game updates in Energy Saver mode is available for all Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles. In general, the Xbox Series S and Xbox Series X consoles are available wherever such things are sold for $299 and $499 if you can find either of them in stock. You can check out all of our previous coverage of Xbox in general right here.
What do you think about Xbox continuing to promote its sustainability efforts? Have you been making use of the consoles’ Energy Saver mode prior to this? Let us know in the comments, or feel free to reach out and hit me up directly over on Twitter at @rollinbishop in order to talk about all things gaming!
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Image Courtesy of Bethesda
