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XBox (Games) Microsoft Windows Games

Microsoft Is Exploring Energy-Saving Graphics Modes For Xbox and Windows Games (windowscentral.com) 33

A new survey on the Xbox Insider Hub suggests Microsoft is looking to expand on its energy saving features for Xbox consoles and potentially PC games too. Jez Corden writes via Windows Central: A recent questionnaire I came across in the Xbox Insider app on Windows PC detailed a potential list of new features Microsoft is exploring for games across consoles and PC. These new features pertain specifically to opting-in to reduce frame rates, resolution, and so on, with the goal of limiting energy consumption. Of course, surveys don't necessarily mean that these sorts of features will make it into a final product, but Microsoft's commitments to net zero carbon use have seen the firm increase its investments in this space.

The survey asks users about their current feelings with regard to energy consumption, potentially polling users on how the energy crisis is affecting their willingness to spend. The survey asks users if they would be interested in features that reduce power consumption in games, both while the games are running and while they're inactive, specifically to save energy and thus money. Microsoft also asks users how they would prefer these features to be branded, with terms like "eco-saving" and "energy-saving," and even asks if these sorts of features would affect users' purchase decisions per game.

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Microsoft Is Exploring Energy-Saving Graphics Modes For Xbox and Windows Games

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  • very good story, congratulations
    • With the new nVidia 4090 cards able to consume 600Watts of power at peak settings, I can see an option to limit the power requirements to no more than 400W or 200W for some casual gaming or web browsing. If the peak wattage could be tied to specific programs (Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve, etc) or games that really benefit from it, then I might be tempted to run at a 200W (or something less than 600W) level for normal usage.

      • The hardware needs to use no more power than is needed for the current application. It should not have to be set it should just adjust based on the load. A casual game should put a very low load on the system and the system should generate no more frames than the display is capable of supporting.

      • If I'm not mistaken GPUs already use a pretty small amount of power when performing simple tasks like web browsing. If you open a HW monitoring utility you can see the clocks running pretty slowly and power used pretty low during normal usage.
        But your idea of limiting power used to x Watts is interesting
  • by Anonymous Coward

    I, for one, won't be playing any games that won't run at over 120fps with decent-looking graphics. I won't be making any sacrifices to reduce my energy consumption, thanks for asking.

  • Maybe, in Red States, they could offer an energy intensive mode, 100% CPU/GPU 24/7 since those people are so edgy and FTW.

  • Comment removed based on user account deletion
    • by drinkypoo ( 153816 ) <drink@hyperlogos.org> on Monday November 07, 2022 @08:22PM (#63034097) Homepage Journal

      the xbox one x (ugh these names) allegedly has a 90%+ efficient power supply. also, you really want 48v or something so you don't need big ugly cables.

      • by Luckyo ( 1726890 )

        This is fairly accurate in that current AC to DC endpoint conversion in a typical PSU is quite efficient, usually between 80 and 90% efficient under reasonable load.

        There is some room for optimization in consoles there too, because you control everything about the system, from underlying hardware to software. So you can make the system stay at certain power levels that are the most optimal for the console's PSU as well.

        And you really, REALLY don't want low voltage DC cables anywhere where there's a meaningf

      • Comment removed based on user account deletion
        • I like big ugly cables. More likely to trip on them than to break them accidentally.

          The cables into your PC now can carry the current needed at 110VAC. Now do the math and tell me how much bigger they have to be to do it at 12VDC, and then tell me you want to use that heavy a cable... and pay for it, too.

      • Comment removed based on user account deletion
  • ... they aren't out driving around during gas for entertainment. Take the win.
    • Why would you drive for entertainment? Are you a racing car driver? Is your choice playing xbox vs sitting in a car? Maybe you need to expand your horizons a bit.

  • Reduce standby/idle consumption. That's what actually matters.

  • I suspect that pitching this primarily as an abstract 'green' measure isn't going to be a winner; but the capabilities required to deliver it seem like they have a variety of potentially much more broadly attractive uses(some from the perspective of the user, some from the perspective of Microsoft).

    At any given time the substantial majority of games are going to be being played on hardware that is constrained in at least one way, most commonly several, whether it be economically because the player didn't
  • This is one of those feel-good things designed to keep people playing and spending money on Xbox games, in case any feelings of guilt of energy usage get in the way. Sure, check the box, save a few watts, when you should really just shut the damn thing off in the first place.
  • ...announce how they have improved the "wake up time" on the Series X, so it now fires back up in about a second?

    I know because I have one, and yes - it does. Which, naturally, means that the last vestige of "sleep mode" being anything more than just turning off the video, is gone. It's fully awake, all the time. Except, of course, for the glowing light on the front.

    And now they're thinking about power consumption?

  • Ridiculous. Climate alarmism has become a substitute for religion.
  • With the 550 Watt power draw, the Nvidia's RTX 4090 is also combining a graphics adapter and space heater into one device, which of course is great for reducing energy consumption.
  • fewer animations, less fancy crap all over the place. Why does everything need to have drop shadows, sliding, fade in/out, zooming?

    my GPU, a four year old crazy-power-hungry vega56 reports THREE WATTS of consumption when it's idle. THREE WATTS. What are they trying to gain???

    Holy shit, (add expletives to distaste)

  • While it's an interesting initiative, good luck convincing gamers to give up power after years of promoting 4k and 100s of FPS as must-have things.
    Also, games have always been about progressively pushing the hardware limits so I don't think limiting the power used is gonna be a very popular thing

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